Magnetic Attractions
by MiniSparky
Summary: He is the descendant of Clow reed. She is the spunky new Card Mistress that's come to live with his family for the summer. What if Fate wants them to meet but never intends on letting them be together?
1. Arrival

Disclaimer: Do I look like Clamp to you? No! So I don't own CCS!

A 16 year old boy with dark brown hair and amber eyes was lying down in his green bed complete with green blankets and pillows inside is big green room, looking outside the window at the chirping birds that were sitting on a tree branch.

A knock came on his door and tore away his gaze from the window. "Come in," he said.

An old man with gray hair walked in and said, "Master Li, your mother wants you to be ready and downstairs in 10 minutes for the arrival of Miss Kinomoto."

The boy groaned and sat up in his bed. "Sure thing Wei."

The man named Wei nodded and walked out, closing the door.

Just then the door burst open and a 16 year old girl with black hair in a red Chinese dress ran in and yelled, "Syaoran! Get up! You're not even dressed yet! You can't expect to meet the Card Mistress in your boxers can you?" She started running around the room and jumping up and down on Syaoran's bed.

"Meilin, get out," he said very calmly.

She didn't hear him because she was staring into the air daydreaming. "I think it's totally awesome how a girl has been chosen to have the cards. I hope she's nice. What am I thinking, Clow Reed personally picked her so she must be nice! I hope we can be friends and then maybe she can teach me to do some magic." She sighed, still staring into the air with stars in her eyes.

"Meilin, you haven't even met the girl. How can you admire her so much already?" Syaoran asked as he got up and looked through his closet. Meilin snapped out of her thoughts and said, "Aunt Yelan said you have to wear something suitable."

He looked at her and let out a small growl. "You know it's getting very annoying how everyone is trying to impress this Sakura girl. They don't even know her! For all we know she could be totally evil!"

Meilin started to crack up at that. "Oh wow. You're funny. Oh, man. Hurry up she'll be here any minute now." With that she skipped out of the room.

Syaoran started to mumble while he got dressed. "I so do not like this Card Mistress. I cant believe mother invited her to live with us for the summer! It's bad enough someone outside the clan was chosen to be the Card Mistress but the fact that everybody just forgive and forgave as soon as they found out she was personally picked by some Clow Reed reincarnation, is unacceptable!" He was wearing black baggy pants and a dark green t-shirt that was kind of tight on him, due to the fact that he had a muscular body. "OK. Let's see exactly who this Card Mistress is. Probably some dorky girl." He walked out of his mansion and into the Main Garden where they would be welcoming Sakura Kinomoto, the Card Mistress.

''''''' The Main Garden''''''''

Syaoran walked outside and started greeting his family. " Good morning mother." Then he looked around at his sister and Meilin and added, "Good morning everyone."

"Hello, dear. Oh, didn't Meilin tell you to wear something suitable?"

Syaoran growled under his breath. His sisters Fuuti, Feimei, Fanren, and Xiefa all giggled and said, "Hello brother." (I'm not sure if that's their names or not. If not can you guys tell me?)

A black limo made its way through the gates and Yelan, Syaoran's mother, looked at the car smiled and said, "She's here." Syaoran's sisters and Meilin all squealed and started jumping up and down. The limo stopped right in front of them. From the driver's seat came out a young man of about 20 and ran across to the passenger's side and opened the door.

For a second everyone held their breath. Then out of the limo flew out a yellow teddy bear with wings. "Oh my gosh! This place is huge!"

"_That_ is the great Card Mistress?" Syaoran snorted.

The teddy bear got mad and instantly flew up to Syaoran's face and yelled, "Who are you calling a 'Mistress' you little brat? I am the great Keroberos!"

Syaoran fell on the floor and started laughing, "Oh! The _great_ Keroberos is a _stuffed animal_? Oh that's just sad!" Kero's patience was growing thin and just when he was about to attack Syaoran, a hand grabbed his little paw. All the while everyone was watching Syaoran and Kero fight, they didn't see a beautiful 16 year old girl with auburn hair and striking emerald eyes come out of the car. The hand holding on to Kero's paw belonged to this girl. She looked from Kero to Syaoran who was still laughing on the floor with his eyes closed.

She cleared her throat to get his attention. He heard it and opened his eyes only to be met by a vision of magnificence. The girl was wearing a black mini skirt with a pink spaghetti strap. Her long hair flowing openly in the wind made her look like an angel. He immediately stood up and looked at the ground. Sakura let go of Kero's paw and looked at Yelan.

She smiled and said, "Hello. I'm Sakura Kinomoto. It's nice to meet you." She extended her hand and Yelan shook it.

"It's nice to meet you Sakura. I am Yelan Li. These are my daughters–" before she had a chance to explain the girls all attacked Sakura with hugs and praises.

Yelan looked over at her son who was now looking at Sakura with his mouth open. She smiled at him and cleared her throat. That snapped him and the girls out of their current states. Kero had an amused face as he floated around in the air. Sakura, who seemed a little shaken and surprised by the girls' behavior, fixed her hair and stood up straight and smiled again. She had expected them to be all proper and strict seeing as how they belong to the richest family in China. "Excuse my daughters' behavior Sakura, dear. They were very anxious to meet you." She saw Meilin glare at her in a I-can't-believe-you-forgot-me-I-was-there-attacking-her-too! kinda way. "And of course my niece, Meilin which I consider as one of my own daughters." She smiled at Meilin and she smiled back satisfied.

Sakura looked at everyone and her gaze stopped on Syaoran. "And this is my son, Syaoran," added Yelan.

Syaoran had gotten his broody attitude back, He had a very serious face on and he had his arms crossed in front of him. "Nice to meet you," he said in a low voice. Yelan glared at him but Sakura just smirked.

She imitated him by crossing her arms in front of her and saying, "It's nice to meet you too," in a low voice. Yelan, Kero, and the girls giggled at that. Even Wei who had been standing outside, waiting to take the bags upstairs, smiled. Syaoran growled and just stared at her. 'I definitely don't like her' he thought in his mind. Wei took the bags out of the car and walked inside the house.

Yelan grabbed Sakura's arm and guided her inside. "Welcome to our home Sakura. We were so glad that you decided to take us up on our invitation." The girls followed them inside. Syaoran just stood there looking at the figures that were walking away. Kero floated down in front of him with a smirk on his face.

Syaoran glared at him and then turned his attention to Sakura. 'Man, she's beautiful' he thought. Suddenly an angry kero grabbed his color and pulled him up into the air a few inches.

"You better not have been staring at Sakura's butt you little brat! I know you're rich and used to girls throwing themselves at you but Sakura's not like that and don't you even think about going after her! You can't have her buddy. She's forbidden. You hear me?"

Syaoran grabbed Kero's paws and forced himself out of them. He landed softly on his feet. "Hey you little stuffed animal, what makes you think I'd be interested in her anyway? Not much to look at. And I think she has terrible personality, too, he lied.

Kero's face glowed red from anger. And steam came out of his ears.

"Sakura is the sweetest, most beautiful, most caring person you could ever meet! She has guys lined up to kiss the ground she walks on! You and her are like the opposite poles of a magnet!"

Syaoran snorted "That just shows how stupid you are! The opposite poles of a magnet are attracted to each other!"

Kero just became redder, if possible, and yelled, "Well she's not interested in you pal. So take a hike!" And with that he flew into the house.

Syaoran yelled after him, "Well I'm not interested in her anyways!" He just stood there for a while. The last few minutes running in his mind. 'Ok maybe I'm a little attracted to her but that doesn't mean I'm interested! I don't like her one bit!'

That's the first chapter, what do you think? Please REVIEW and tell me!


	2. Evil Idea

Magnetic Attractions

After getting settled in the guest room, Sakura had taken up Meilin on her offer for a tour of the house.

"And this is a portrait of my great-great-great-great uncle. I don't remember what his name was but I think he was suppose to be a great sorcerer," Meilin explained as Sakura and her strolled down a big corridor full of portraits. "And this is another one of my great-great-great aunts. I don't know why they have her picture here, she never did anything interesting." They both started giggling. "You know I bet someday they'll have your portrait here."

Sakura laughed at her comment. "Why would you say that?"

"Because you're the Card Mistress! Duh! You're suppose to be some almighty powerful sorceress."

Sakura laughed again. "Whoever said that was probably over-exaggerating. I'm not 'almighty'."

Meilin giggled. "Still, if they have portraits of women who did absolutely nothing hung here then they'll definately have a portrait of you someday."

"I doubt that. These are all Li women. I'm not a Li." Just then Meilin stopped in front of the portrait of a young boy at the age of 8 years with deep amber eyes and dark brown hair.

Meilin got an evil idea. A very evil yet fun idea. She smirked at Sakura and said, "That doesn't mean you can't be."

"What are you talking about?" She gave her a quizical look.

"Well, technically, if you marry a Li, then you become a Li." Her smirk became huge and there was a very evil glint in her eyes.

Sakura immediately caught on to her idea and backed away. "No, no, no, no, no. No!"

"Oh come on he's cute!" (In case you guys haven't caught on yet, she's talking about Syaoran.) She gained on her and Sakura backed up again.

"He's grumpy!"

"I bet you can change that!" She grinned like a maniac.

Sakura saw that there was no way around this conversation so she turned around and ran down the corridor with Meilin on her tail.

"Come on Sakura! Just think about it! It's a match made in heaven!"

"No it's not!" She turned around the corner and bam! She ran into someone. But before she could fall a pair of strong hand caught her by the waist. Sakura opened her eyes and say that it was....

"Syaoran! I am so...." Before she could apologize she was drawn into his deep amber eyes, like the one in the portrait. Of course he was also mesmerized by her sparkling emerald eyes. Neither one noticed when Meilin walked around the corner and saw them in that position: Syaoran dipping Sakura (That sounds kinda weird but I hope you know I mean the dips they do in dances!) She just stood there looking at the two then cleared her throat which definitely got both their attentions, They snapped back into reality. Sakura stood up straight and Syaoran let go of her waist as they both started mumbling apologies. Meilin couldn't help but giggle, which earned her death glares from both Sakura and Syaoran. Without even looking at each other, Sakura and Syaoran walked opposite ways and Meilin followed Sakura.

"That was so cute!!! I told you, you guys are a match made in heaven!"

"No we're not!"

"Yes you are! It's like you two are just pulled towards each other by some invisible source (Me!)"

"If you are suggesting that I am attracted to Captain Grumpy then you are sadly mistaken!" Sakura made her way towards her room and opened the door and stood there, "We are like total opposites!"

"You don't even know him yet! Besides you know what they say, opposites attract!" She giggled. Sakura opened her mouth to say something but she couldn't think of anything so she just slammed the door in Meilin's face. "This is going to be the best summer vacation ever!!!" She giggled and skipped down the stairs. She ran into the garden where Syaoran's sisters where all sitting gossiping about stuff. "You guys are never going to believe this!"

This was like a usual routine for the girls. They would all gather together in benched area of the garden and gossip about who wore what, who's going out with who, and stuff like that. By the amount of enthusiasm in Meilin's voice they could tell whatever she had to say had to be really exciting.

They all turned their attention to her and said "What?" in unison.

"Ok so I was showing Sakura around the house and then I got this idea that she and Syaoran would make a perfect couple-"

"Ooooh!!!" They all said in unison again. "That's a perfect idea!!!" They all started talking between themselves about it and Meilin cleared her throat to get their attention. They all became quiet and turned towards her again.

"I wasn't finished. Ok so then she started saying 'no' and 'that's a stupid idea!' and then we started running down the corridors and she runs into SYAORAN! And he grabs her by the waist so she doesn't fall and then they just stare deeply into each others eyes for a few seconds. It was so ADORABLE!!!" They all started squealing and jumping up and down hugging each other.

"Ah hem." They all stopped and turned to find Yelan standing there. "Did something exciting happen?"

The girls all looked at each other and tried hard to keep in their laughs but couldn't. They started laughing and cracking up and all talking over each other. Yelan just shook her head and continued, "Girls! All this gossiping will get you no where. Plus it's not how young, civilized, women act. So I suggest you all get ready for lunch. And someone be a dear and tell Sakura."

Meilin nodded as Yelan walked away. They all look at each other and started going crazy again.

Sorry I'm a little busy right now so that's all you get for this chapter!

Please review and let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions please tell me!

I would also like to thank all the ppl who reviewed:

Ying fa, Yaua, girl from nowhere and Janey, cherryblossom88, star(it's actually the little sign on 8 but that won't show) , weirdo, Crystalz Tearz, Kura-chan, Jessi.

I love you guys!!!!!!!!


	3. Midnight Meeting

.... Sakura's room at night....

Sakura walked out of the bathroom in her pajamas: green shorts that went down to the middle of her thighs and a pink tank top. She jumped on her bed and faced the ceiling. Kero flew and sat on her stomach. "So how are you liking your visit so far?" he asked turning his head to see her.

Sakura patted his head and answered, "It's fine. This morning was really fun but all through lunch and dinner the girls kept looking at me weird and whispering and giggling."

"What about the brat?"

"If you mean Syaoran... I think he's been avoiding me."

"I see my little talk with him this morning had an effect." Kero said as he flew up into the air and puffed out his chest trying to look superior.

Sakura giggled. "What talk?"

"That's you're out of his league and that he should stay away from you."

Sakura burst out laughing. "That's funny! But I don't even think he's interested in me! Or any other girl for that matter. It's like he's stuck in the girls-have-cooties stage!"

Kero smiled and flew back down. "It's good to know that you don't show any interest in him."

Sakura patted his head and got up to pull back the covers when something outside the window caught her eye. She looked down at the almost sleep Kero. "Hey Kero? I'm gonna go get some fresh air ok?" Kero mumbled something and nodded his head and fell asleep in Sakura's bed.

Sakura smiled and shook her head as she walked towards the balcony. She opened the door and stepped outside. She looked down and saw a beautiful rose garden surrounding a lovely fountain. There was a statue of a girl and a boy hugging each other and looking up as if they were looking at the stars in the middle of the fountain. A little farther away the garden was filled with trees and something in the trees caught her eye again. It looked like something sparkled. Sakura couldn't help herself. She took out her necklace and transformed it into a staff. She called on the fly and flew towards it. When she got close enough she could see that the object that had sparkled was a sword, the moonlight shining off of it made it sparkle. She couldn't see who the person holding the sword was because his face was in the shadow. But since he only had on a pair of black baggy pants, she could see he had a built upper body. A faint blush rose in her cheeks.

She hovered there for a few minutes staring at the person doing amazing stunts with the sword. She had been so into it that when he spoke she almost fell off the staff.

"So do you plan on spending the whole night watching me?" said the boy playfully.

His voice seemed oddly familiar too her but she couldn't place it. "Uh.... sorry."

He looked up at her and this time she really did fall off the staff. Before she could hit the ground the boy summoned wind to gently put her down. The fly returned to it's card form and appeared in front of it's master along with her staff. She quickly got up and grabbed them.

"How long did you know I was there?" She asked trying to straighten her clothes.

"Since you summoned the fly card."

"How?"

"Magic.... Duh!"

"Oh now Mr. Grumpy is being Mr. Sarcastic!"

He chuckled at her as he leaned his sword next to a tree. He stood there with his arm crossed just looking at her with no emotion on his face. Being only in her pajama's Sakura felt uncomfortable under his gaze. She crossed her arms too and stared back at him. He smirked and she began to feel even more uncomfortable. "So tell me, did you like what you saw?"

Sakura blushed again. "um... Well, you really know what you're doing."

He took a step towards her, still smirking "But did you like what you saw?"

Sakura took a step back. "What do you mean?" To her this was a whole new side to Syaoran. Is this how acted when his family wasn't around?

He continued gaining on her as she slowly took another step back colliding with a tree. "You know what I mean."

"I honestly don't."

He stopped a foot away from her. She had nowhere to go so she just stood there staring into his dark amber eyes. He still had his arms crossed in front of his bare chest. It took every ounce of self-control Sakura had, for her not to look at his chest. He looked her up and down. "Well then... I'll be going now." He turned around and started walking away. He picked up his sword and turned his head to get one last glace at her. She was still leaning against the tree watching him. He winked at her and walked away.

The second he was out of sight, her knees gave away and she fell on the floor. "What was _that _about?!"

.... Syaoran's room....

The second he got in his room. He closed the door and leaned against it. "What was _that_ about?"

* * *

Ok let me know what you think! And if you see any mistakes please point them out! Thank you!

Emerald Sakura: Thank you!!! I'm glad you like it!

NemesisMuse: Thanks! I'm glad you told me!

Crystalz Tearz: LOL i know isn't it?

CelestialMoussy: LOL I like her here too!

ying fa: here you go!

Mei fa-chan: Thank you!

Kura-chan: Thanks!

cherryblossom88: hehe thanks!

iluvanime493: I'm glad you likey. LOL

Phantom Demon: u got it! LOL I know what you mean about the friends thing!

Nikita: Thank you!

Spring Turkey: Thank you! I'm glad you like it!

icekaia: LOL you got it!

sHiPpO9113: You got it!


	4. Confusing Messages

_**I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed! This chapter is dedicated to every single one of you guys!**_

_A field of flowers. Flowers of every color. Grass greener than you've ever seen. The sky sparkling blue with white puffy clouds. Bright rays of sunshine protecting everything it touches. Trees blossoming and birds singing beautiful melodies. Absolutely beautiful, Sakura thought to herself.  
  
Then...  
  
Thunder broke the sky and shook the ground. The clouds turned an evil dark. then lightning hit a tree and started a menacing fire. The wind rose and became violent. It spread the fire through the field, destroying everything in it's path. The clouds became darker and rain began to wail. Once it drowned the fire all that was left was destruction, pain, and emptiness._  
  
Sakura sat up breathing very hard. She brought her hands up to her head and brushed back her hair, getting out of bed. She walked into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. She put her hands on the sides up the sink and looked up at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was unusually pale. She went back into the room and looked around for Kero but found him nowhere in sight. "Probably went for breakfast, the little pig." She sighed and got changed into a pair of jeans and a white shirt.  
  
- - -

Inside a dark musky room a dark figure sat on the floor inside a star diagram with candles around it. In the middle was a dark mirror. "You don't deserve to be Card Mistress. I'll make sure that the title goes to someone who truly deserves it."

- - -

Meilin and the Li sisters were all chatting away happily while Yelan pretended to be reading the paper but was actually eavesdropping on their conversation which was turning out to be very interesting to her.

"And then Syaoran just kept walking closer and closer to her until she was trapped between him and the tree!" exclaimed Meilin. "He was totally checking her out! And Sakura was trying SO hard not to look at him but she was failing miserably! For a second I thought he was gonna kiss her but then he just walked away, that idiot! And I could've swore he winked at her when he was walking away!"

The sisters all squealed and screamed.

"I think little brother is falling for her!" exclaimed Fanren.

"Aww he's growing up so fast." said Fuuti while wiping away a fake tear.

They all exploded laughing. Even Yelan smiled. But they all became very quiet when Sakura walked in the room. "Uh... Good morning?"

"Good morning, Sakura, dear. How did you sleep?" Yelan asked.

Sakura walked up to a chair next to Meilin and sat down. "Um.. Good. Thank you for asking."

Feimei whispered to Xeifa, "And she's so polite too! She'll make a great sister-in-law." Xeifa giggled.

A very loud clattering sound from upstairs caught all their attentions. They all rushed out of the room and followed the voices.

They came to an abrupt halt when they saw what had caused the noise. In the small study stood a tall man with long silver hair and white wings. Sakura pushed her way in and saw this too. Syaoran was already in the room along with Kero. "Yue! What are you doing here?"

Yue's attention moved from Kero and Syaoran, who were having a glaring contest, to Sakura. "Mistress, something awakened me. I sensed danger coming your way." Yelan and the girls all gasped. Even Syaoran and Kero stopped and looked at Yue.

"I know. I sensed it too," Sakura said. Now everyone looked at her.

"Sakura! Why didn't you tell me?" Kero demanded.

"Well you weren't exactly around this morning." Sakura recalled her dream.

"Did you have one of your prophetic dreams again?" Yue asked walking towards her.

"I think so. I saw... destruction. I think maybe somebody really doesn't want me to be here." Sakura looked down at her hands.

Kero narrowed his eyes at Syaoran. "And we all know who that is!"

"You think I'm the danger to her?" Syaoran scoffed.

"Kero leave him alone." Sakura reached over and grabbed Kero by the wings and pulled him out of Syaoran's face.

"But Sakura he's a suspect!" Kero tried to wiggle out of her grasp.

"A suspect of what exactly?" Sakura asked, baffled.

"Of whatever this danger is, that is coming," Kero said.

"Keroberos may be right Mistress. We don't know what this new challenge is and it is strange that you had the dream on your first night here. It's a warning." Yue said strictly.  
- - -  
The dark figure chuckled as she witnessed the scene taking place in the Li mansion through the dark mirror. "Oh this is just too perfect. Everything seems to be going in my favor Card Mistress. I have two words for you: Buckle up!" She cackled and waved her hand over the mirror. A dark aura surrounded the mirror.  
- - -

"The brat is EVIL Sakura! You have to believe me!" Kero yelled furiously.

"Hold up you two! Nothing has even happened and already you're accusing Syaoran of being evil!" Sakura explained. "If he was evil don't you think I would be able to tell? Do you have that little faith in my powers as Card Mistress that you don't think I can even tell if someone's an enemy?"

"Well to tell you the truth Mistress, you are a bit too welcoming of everyone," Yue said casually.

"Well.... uh.... I like to believe everyone is innocent until proven guilty." Sakura said after much thought.

"Well then I'll prove that he IS guilty." Kero flew back into Syaoran's face. Syaoran just rolled his eyes and swatted him away.

Sakura suddenly started to feel lightheaded. Her vision blurred and she started to sway. "Sakura?" she heard someone call to her but before she could answer everything turned black.

_Sakura found herself in a dark hallway and at the end was someone standing in the light. She started to slowly walk up to that person. With every step she took she got a more clear outline of the person but could not see who it was. The figure belonged to a guy a little taller then her. She was only a few steps away from him when the floor gave away and she started falling. She fell on a soft, dirt ground. She stood up and found herself in the front yard of the Li mansion. All of a sudden, out of nowhere a burst of fire surrounded her and through the fire came the guy from the hallway. He had a sword in his hand. He lifted it and whispered, "Good night, Card Mistress." The sword swooped it's way down on her...._  
  
Sakura screamed and sat up hastily knocking her head against Syaoran's. "OW!" they yelled in unison.

"Sakura are you ok?" Kero asked.

Sakura looked around and saw everyone had surrounded her as she lay on the ground of the study. Then her eyes landed on Syaoran.....


	5. The Neverending Test

A/N Someone asked if this was before or after Sakura turned the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards. It's after she turns them. I know she's suppose to have wings on her back when using the fly card but since I've already written it like this lets just say that she can also still use the fly card on her staff. ok?

Sakura suddenly started to feel lightheaded. Her vision blurred and she started to sway. "Sakura?" she heard someone call to her but before she could answer everything turned black.

_Sakura found herself in a dark hallway and at the end was someone standing in the light. She started to slowly walk up to that person. With every step she took she got a more clear outline of the person but could not see who it was. The figure belonged to a guy a little taller then her. She was only a few steps away from him when the floor gave away and she started falling. She fell on a soft, dirt ground. She stood up and found herself in the front yard of the Li mansion. All of a sudden, out of nowhere a burst of fire surrounded her and through the fire came the guy from the hallway. He had a sword in his hand. He lifted it and whispered, "Good night, Card Mistress." The sword swooped it's way down on her..._

Sakura screamed and sat up hastily knocking her head against Syaoran's. "OW!" they yelled in unison.

"Sakura are you ok?" Kero asked.

Sakura looked around and saw everyone had surrounded her as she lay on the ground of the study. Then her eyes landed on Syaoran...

She quickly looked away and stood up. She stumbled but Yue held her up. "Are you all right Mistress?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about." She stood by herself and tried to put on a happy smile. "I must still be jet lagged from the plane."

"Do you want anything, my dear?" Yelan asked her.

Sakura shook her head and started towards the door. "No. I think I'm just going to go up to my room and get some rest." She smiled at everyone and walked out of the room. As soon as she was far enough she broke into a run.

When she got to her room she immediately shut the door and leaned against it. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. What am I going to do?" She fell to the floor and started crying.

Back at the study room, everyone was having a heated discussion as to what was the reason for Sakura's fainting spell.

"It was the brat's fault I'm telling you!" Kero yelled.

"He was standing in front of you the entire time! How could _he_ be the one responsible for this?" Meilin yelled at him.

"He used magic. Duh!" Kero stuck his tongue out at her.

Meilin growled and grabbed his tongue and pulled it. Everyone except Yue and Syaoran rushed to separate the two. "Listen here you little stuffed doll! My cousin is a nice person! He doesn't use magic on other people! How dare you even suggest it!"

Syaoran was looking out the window at the garden, thinking over everything that had happened recently. Was he really a danger to Sakura? It was obvious that he was against her being there but he would never do anything to hurt someone? Then he remembered the terrified look in Sakura's eyed when she looked at him. Would he?

Yue examined him closely. There was something about him that gave him an uneasy feeling. Syaoran turned and met his eyes. Yue looked back at the struggle between Meilin and Kero.

A few hours later, Sakura was laying down on her bed resting when a knock came on the door. She got up and walked to the door but hesitated to open it. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Meilin." Her voice came from the other side of the door. Sakura sighed and opened the door.

Meilin came up to her and hugged her. "How are you feeling?"

Sakura closed the door and walked back to the bed. "Fine." Meilin glared at her. "Ok I'm a little shaken."

"Yue said you probably had a premonition when you fainted. Is that true?"She sat next to her.

"Well I saw something but I'm not sure if it was a premonition. I usually only have those when I'm sleeping."

"Well what is it that you saw?"

Sakura looked at the ground and recalled the terror she had felt when the sword was coming towards her. She gasped and put her hand on her throat. Meilin took her hand and whispered with concern, "Are you all right?"

Tears started falling down her perfect complection. "Oh Meilin. It was so scary! It felt so real!"

Sakura put her head on Meilin's shoulder and cried as she tried to calm her. "I'll get someone to bring up lunch and I'll stay with you for the rest of the day. How does that sound?"

"Good."

It was near dinner time and the girls were getting ready to go down when the lights suddenly went out. After they came back on a few seconds later a faint scream caught their attention.

"Did you hear that?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah." Meilin opened the door and stuck out her head. The hallways were quiet. Too quiet. "Something's wrong."

"What?" Sakura got her cards and walked down the hallway next to Meilin.

"I don't know."

From behind them came faded sounds of footsteps. They whirled around to see who had made the noise but there was no one there.

"This place isn't haunted is it?" Sakura asked.

Meilin giggled. "Oh yeah."

Sakura gasped. Meilin raised a brow at her. "Are you serious? You believe in ghosts?"

Sakura shook her head vigorously. Then her eyes widened at something behind Meilin. Seeing the fear in her eyes, Meilin turned around to see what had caused it. She saw the shadow of a person walking towards the hallway they were in. Meilin grabbed her arm and led her towards a small table that held a priceless vase on it. She pushed her under the table and got under it herself.

They stayed there motionless and heard the footsteps get closer until it was in their view. The person walked slowly down the corridor until he reached the table the girls were hiding under and then stopped.

Sakura and Meilin were holding their breaths.

Suddenly the person bent down and came face to face with them. The girls closed their eyes and let our terrified screams. After a few second of screaming they realized that the person hadn't done anything to them so they opened their eyes and saw Syaoran staring at them. "You are so pathetic," he told them both. He got up and let them get out.

Sakura stood behind Meilin for she was still unsure of who that person was in her dream and if it had been Syaoran then she had to be very careful around him.

"What are you doing here?" Meilin yelled at him.

"I heard a scream and I went to see what it was but I couldn't find anyone," he explained.

"Did you check on the others? Are the OK?" Meilin asked.

"That's what I meant by 'I couldn't find anyone.' There's nobody here. I don't sense any of their auras. It's liked they just disappeared."

"Please tell me that's a normal thing around here," Sakura begged.

"I'm afraid not." Meilin took her shaking hand.

"Then where are they and why did only _they_ disappear?" Sakura looked at Syaoran suspiciously.

"You think I did this?" Syaoran saw the accusing look in her eyes.

"No!" she said hastily. She saw a hint of sadness in his eyes and looked down to stop herself from feeling guilty.

"I'm sure that's not what she think. Now lets go try to figure out what happened to the others." Meilin led them down the corridor.

As they descended down the stairs a soft melody filled the place. "I thought you said everyone disappeared," Meilin said as Syaoran went ahead of her in case of protection.

"They did. I'm still not sensing any auras. Are you?"

"I can't sense auras you know that, idiot!" Meilin exclaimed.

Syaoran stopped and turned around. "I was asking Sakura, idiot!"

"Oh." Meilin and Syaoran both looked at Sakura for conformation.

Sakura closed her eyes and focused her energy on sensing her surroundings. There was a very strong aura close by and she assumed it was Syaoran's but besides that she also couldn't feel anything. Then something familiar struck in her mind. She opened her eyes and ran towards the soft melody coming from one of the rooms.

"Sakura!" Meilin and Syaoran both yelled as they also ran after her.

"I know this song!" She exclaimed.

They followed her into a room and ran into her for she was standing right by the doorway. They followed her gaze and saw a man on the piano playing a soft melody. Syaoran stood in front of the girls protectively.

The man finished playing and turned around to face them.

"Eriol!" Sakura exclaimed and ran to hug her friend.

"Hello Sakura." He hugged her and then faced Meilin and Syaoran. "Hello to you too my little descendants."

"Eriol." They replied at the same time dryly.

Sakura looked back and forth between them. "You guys know each other?"

Eriol chuckled. "Of course Sakura. After all they are the descendants of my past self."

Sakura looked thoughtful for a moment then asked, "What are you doing here?"

Eriol looked at her. "Well it seemed like big things were about to happen and I just couldn't stay away."

"What kind of big things?" The other three asked.

"It wouldn't be any fun if I just told you! You have to figure that out by yourselves."

"Always with the mystery. This is why I can't stand you. You never give anyone real answers." Syaoran crossed his arms and scowled. "I bet you have something to do with the disappearance of the others."

"Oh my dear descendant you're wrong. They haven't disappeared. You have."

"Huh?" Meilin and Sakura looked at him confused.

"You see, I am here to test you." He explained further.

"But I thought all the testing would've stopped after I changed all the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards."

He chuckled. "My dear, life never stops testing you so neither will I. But I'm not here to only test you..." He looked to Syaoran. "Something has recently caught my eye and I must say it's a very fascinating... thing." He smirked and turned back to Sakura.

Meilin seemed to catch on to what he was thinking and smirked. "Oh! I get it!"

Eriol and Meilin shared a secret smile and then he said, "Well Meilin and I best be on our way."

"What!" Sakura and Syaoran exclaimed.

"She is not the one I came here to test, you are. So we will leave you two to figure out a way back to our dimension." Eriol smirked and stood next to Meilin and summoned his staff.

"Wait but how are we suppose to do that! I don't know anything about dimension traveling!" Sakura exclaimed.

Syaoran seemed rather calm however.

Sakura saw this and freaked out even more. Why was he so calm? Was it because if they were left alone then he could have a chance to kill her? That is if he was even the one from her so-called premonition.

Eriol smirked at the two. "You seem rather calm dear descendant."

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Dimension traveling is a piece of cake. I'll have us back there before you can say 'I'm a stupid moron'."

Eriol's grin widened. "In that case I should make this more challenging. Have fun!"

With that said he slammed the end of his staff on the floor and a bright light engulfed the room.

When Sakura and Syaoran opened their eyes they were standing inside a club that looked like it belonged in the 1800's. Everything was colorful. Men were dressed in tuxes and women were dressed in elegant gowns. On the stage was a man playing the piano and a woman sitting on it, singing.

Sakura looked down at her clothes and noticed they were different. She was now wearing a green gown that was like a corset at the top and flared down at the bottom. She saw Syaoran looking at his clothes too. He was wearing a tux like all the other guys. They looked at each other, puzzled. Then in a puff a piece of paper appeared in front of them.

Syaoran took it and read it out loud. "'In case you're confused, this is a role playing game. You have to play it and win if you want to get out of there.' What is wrong with this guy? This doesn't test any of our magical skills!"

"No but it does test our thinking skills." Sakura said.

"Why are you defending him!" Syaoran asked.

"Why are _you_ so against him!" Sakura yelled back.

"It's because he's a moron!"

"Or maybe it's because you're jealous he picked me as the Card Mistress and not you!"

"Oh please! I don't need to be the Card Master to be powerful! Even without them I have more power than you!"

"Uh, no you don't!"

"Yes I do!"

"No You don't"

"Yes I do!"

"Oh yeah? Well prove it!"

"I will!"

"Ahem." A voice interrupted their arguing.

"What!" They both exclaimed as they turned around to face the person who had dared to barge in their bickering.

A tall, bald man with a mustache glared at them. "You are disrupting my club. Please keep it down or I will have to ask you to leave."

"Fine." Syaoran mumbled.

The man glared at him and walked away.

"You need an attitude adjustment," Sakura said.

Syaoran growled and walked away. Sakura ran after him. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to figure out what is going on here so we can win this stupid game and be out of here already."

Sakura trailed behind him as he walked in-between groups of people who were having discussions. He stopped after he reached the stage. "I couldn't find anything in common in their conversations."

"I wonder what the purpose of the game is," Sakura wondered.

A young waitress came to Syaoran and offered him a drink. She flashed him a charming smile but he just waved her away. Disappointed, she left.

"That was mean," Sakura told him.

"I'm not in the mood to mess around. I just want to get out of here," he growled.

"Still, you could've just told her 'no thank you'."

Syaoran let out a frustrated sigh and faced her. "Why must you always argue with me?"

"I'm not arguing with you!" She exclaimed and walked away from him.

Syaoran sighed and rubbed his temples with his hands. "Oh Eriol. I'm going to kill you for this when I get back." He followed in the direction that Sakura left.

He looked around but couldn't find her anywhere. He noticed a group of men circled around something. He approached and to his surprised, they were all surrounding Sakura.

He laughed at the men's pitiful attempt of wooing her. Sakura seemed very uncomfortable and it seemed like every opportunity she got, she was trying to get away but they wouldn't let her, so she just smiled at them politely. Her eyes fell on Syaoran and they seemed to be begging him to come rescue her.

Syaoran just chuckled. He seemed to like watching Sakura get tortured so he just stood there and watched them try to impress her.

Suddenly a scream caught everyone's attention. It was the same one they had heard earlier in the Li Mansion. Everyone rushed to where the noise had come from.

They saw the bald man from earlier who had told them to be quiet, lying on the floor in a puddle of blood. Sakura gasped and hid behind Syaoran.

"Somebody murdered the club owner!" yelled a man.

The crowd buzzed. Who could've done it?

"Oh great!" Syaoran mumbled. "It's a murder mystery."

"But is the man really dead?" Sakura whimpered.

Then suddenly the whole room froze and Eriol appeared in front of them. "Well my dears, your time is up. Do you know who killed Mr. Bowmont?"

"His name is Mr. Bowmont?" Sakura asked cluelessly.

"How should we know? You didn't tell us to try and find out who was a possible murderer." Syaoran glared at him.

"He's not really dead though right?" Sakura asked.

"No he's not really dead and none of this is real. But your time _is_ up and you do need to give me an answer now," Eriol explained.

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Fine, well it's always the one you least suspect. Hmm... I'm going to have to say, Sakura."

"What!" Sakura yelled. "You think I killed Mr. Bowmont!"

"Yes."

"Well when would I have done it, Genius? I was with you the whole time until the mob of crazy guys came on to me! If anything it was you!"

"Me! Why do you always suspect me of everything?"

"I do not!"

"Yes you do! First you thought it was me who made everyone disappear and now this!"

"ENOUGH!"

They both stopped arguing and looked at Eriol. "Obviously you two failed this test." He sighed and then a small smile came on his face. "But that's all right because you can take it again!"

"What?" Sakura and Syaoran asked in unison.

"Yes, you will relive the night and this time you better pay more attention to things so you can figure out who is the murderer."

Before they could argue, a bright flash of light hit them and they were back where they started.

Syaoran sighed. "We might as well mingle and try to separate the potential murderers."

"But they're not real murderers are they?" Sakura shivered.

"No," he replied simply.

They walked up to Mr. Bowmont. He seemed to be having an argument with a young waitress. "I don't know why I hired you! You're useless! Get out of my sight!" He turned around and sighted them. He smiled and greeted them. "Good evening, sir. How are you doing ma'am?"

Syaoran and Sakura exchanged a look and then smiled back. "We're doing great. This is an amazing club you have here, Mr. Bowmont." Sakura curtsied.

The man chuckled, "Oh no I'm not Mr. Bowmont."

"You're not?" Syaoran asked.

"Well I am Mr. Bowmont but just not the Mr. Bowmont you're talking about."

They looked at him confused.

"You see, my twin brother owns the club. I'm only the manager."

"Oh!" They nodded in understanding.

"But people get us confused the whole time!" he laughed. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to go take care of some things." He walked away leaving them to think things over.

The young waitress that had offered Syaoran a drink before, came back. "Can I get you something to drink sir?"

Sakura glared at him. He sighed and mumbled. "No... thanks." Still, the girl frowned and walked away when she saw the angry stare in his eyes.

Sakura shook her head and sighed. "You need to be a little nicer to people or you're going to end up old, alone, and miserable."

Syaoran smirked. "Hopefully."

Sakura frowned. "That's not a nice way to live though. You'll miss out on all the good things in life!"

"Such as...?"

"Such as friendship, fun, youth,...love." Sakura had a dreamy look on her face.

He studied her face. He noticed, for the first time since they got there, that she looked older, and also more mature and beautiful than she had earlier. Maybe it was the way she was dressed. The way the beautilful gown hugged her body. She noticed his stare and blushed.

Just as they had done the night before, the mob of crazy men came up to Sakura and started showing off again. A miserable look came across Sakura's face. Syaoran hated that. That looked didn't match her.

He broke through the group of men and grabbed Sakura's hand. "I'm sorry to inform you all that this young lady is already taken." He kissed her hand and smiled at her charmingly.

Sakura was shocked. Syaoran was a fantastic actor!

Sakura played along and smiled back at him. She apologized to the others and walked away with her arm in Syaoran's. "You should become an actor," she giggled.

"Ah but I couldn't take all the obsessive girls just throwing themselves at my feet begging for a moment of my time," he said dramatically.

She laughed. He loved that sound. Syaoran smiled at her and they walked to an empty table. "So which Mr. Bowmont was the one that was killed? The club owner or the manager?" Sakura asked in a low voice.

"I don't know. I'll go find out if the club owner is here today." Syaoran got up and walked away. Sakura sat there and watched the woman on stage sing.

It was a beautiful ballad. Suddenly a young man came up to her and asked her to dance. She politely refused him and continued watching the singer. She had so much passion in her words.

The song was about a man that changed her life, turned her world upside down. They were two very different people but at the same time they were very similar. They felt the same way about each other and would gladly die for the other.

Something about the song touched her. It wasn't just the words either. It was also the way the she sang it. The woman had so much emotion in the words, like she was in love herself. Sakura wished she could know what that was like.

Suddenly the same scream that they had heard, came again. She ran to the scene of the crime and saw Syaoran was already there. A bright light flashed in the room and Eriol stood there again. "So have you guys figured out who done it yet?"

The two exchanged a grim look and said, "No."

Eriol sighed. "This will be your last chance to solve the mystery!"

And again, with another flash of light they went back in time. Both let out a frustrated sigh. "You know what? I think we should just go hide somewhere near the crime scene so we can see who kills him!" Syaoran suggested.

Sakura reluctantly agreed. They went to the less crowded place in the club where they had seen the dead body of Mr. Bowmont. They hid in a dark closet and waited.

And waited.

And waited...

Until the sounds of an argument approaching could be heard. They looked through the crack in the door and saw Mr. Bowmont talking to the young waitress that had tried to offer Syaoran a drink. "I think that's the same waitress that he was arguing with earlier." Sakura whispered.

"Shh!" Syaoran shushed her. They listened to the argument.

"You're doing this on purpose! You're telling them not to order anything from me because you so badly want to fire me!" The girl yelled.

"Don't be ridiculous! I have better things to do with my time than to concoct a plan to fire you!" Mr. Bowmont said gruffly.

The girl growled and took an empty beer bottle and smashed it on his head.

Sakura gasped and hid her face in Syaoran's chest.

Mr. Bowmont fell on the floor.

The girl screamed and ran away.

Syaoran wrapped his arms around Sakura and rubbed his arms up and down her back.

A flash of light filled the room and Eriol stood by the door. "You better have solved it this time!" He looked at them in the closet in each other's arms and raised a sly brow. "Exactly what are you two doing in a _closet_? And in each other's arms? From what I heard you two were not exactly fond of each other."

Syaoran and Sakura exchanged a look and practically flew apart.

Eriol smirked.

Syaoran hurriedly answered. "The waitress did it!"

Eriol nodded and said, "Good job." There was another flash of light and they were out of there.

"I think I'm going to be blind tomorrow from all this flashing." Sakura said. She opened her eyes and they were in the Li family common room. Everyone was sitting down, trying really hard to hide their amusement. "What is everyone looking at?"

Then they all cracked up. Even Yelan was laughing. Syaoran and Sakura looked at each other then back at a grinning Eriol. He just shrugged his shoulders and walked to sit on a couch.

Meilin ran up to them and said in between giggles. "Oh man, you guys are so funny! We saw everything on the tv!"

"The TV!" Both exclaimed.

Eriol smirked. "Well they wanted to see how the most brilliant and talented Sorcerer and Sorceress in the world were like on a mission together."

Their jaws dropped to the floor. "You mean, you saw everything?" Syaoran asked.

"Yup!" They all replied.

Syaoran groaned and walked out of the room.

...I'm so sorry it took me this long to update but I was trying to finish my other stories first! But I promise to update this story more frequently!

PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU WANT ME TO EMAIL U WHEN THE NEXT CHAPTER IS UP!

REVIEW PLZ!


	6. The Prophecy

_Sakura stood in a garden. It was night. The garden was decorated with tiny lights that flickered and looked like little fairies or fireflies. Then she saw herself, or someone who looked exactly like her walk out of the mansion, hand in hand with Syaoran. They talked, laughed, danced, and then he gently pulled her to him and was about to kiss her. Sakura felt impending danger. She tried to run to the girl who looked like her and pull her away from Syaoran but no matter how fast she ran, she didn't move an inch. Syaoran's lips were centimeters away from the girl's..._

_But then he let her go and she fell down a dark hole. _

_Sakura's surroundings immediately changed and she felt as if she were falling down the hole with the girl. Then they landed but the only thing they could see was darkness until a fire burst to life in front of the girl. It circled her and trapped her. Again, like in her previous dream, the man with the sword came forward through the fire and lifted the sword to strike it down on the girl._

_Sakura tried to get through the fire to save her look-alike but an invisible barrier was keeping her away. She looked at the man's face but it was in the shadows. _

_Then as the sword rushed down to the girl's neck, she felt herself being pulled back. Her surrounding's blurred and a bright light blinded her._

When she opened her eyes she was back in her room. Surrounded by a maid, Meilin, the Li sisters, Yelan, and Eriol. They were looking at her with frightful eyes. Then she noticed that all her cards were circling her.

"Are you all right?" Yelan asked her.

She opened her mouth to say 'yes' but her voice was gone. Eriol seemed to have read her mind. "You were screaming in your sleep. Sakura what was your dream about?"

Sakura opened her mouth but again no sound came out. Eriol smiled and apologized.

The maid handed her a glass of water which she gladly took. The cool water soothed her throat. Eriol motioned for the others to leave the room.

When they were gone he said, "I'm really worried about you, Sakura. We all are. From your screams we could tell it must've been terrifying, whatever you were dreaming."

"I- I don't really... I dreamt that someone was about to kill me- or someone who looked exactly like me. No I'm pretty sure it was me they were trying to kill. But last time I was living it, this time I was watching it happen-"

"Hey, hey. It's ok. Calm down." Eriol put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Do you think it was a regular nightmare or a premonition?"

"I don't know. I really wish it is just a dream but somehow I get the feeling that it's more than that." A small tear made it's way down her face.

Eriol sighed. "I don't understand why anyone would want to kill you. But it seems as though you weren't the only one who sensed the danger. So did your cards but surprisingly I didn't sense anything."

There was a knock at the door and Meilin entered. "I know you guys are having an important 'magical people' only talk but breakfast is ready and it would help Sakura calm down."

Eriol nodded and they left Sakura to get ready.

When the three of them arrived at breakfast, the Li's were all there already. Sakura sat next to Eriol and Meilin. She looked around and asked Eriol, "Hey where are Kero and Yue? I haven't seen them since before your arrival." When they had gotten back to their dimension, the others had been so excited that she had to lock herself in her room to get away from all their random comments. She had been so distracted that she never noticed that Yue and Kero weren't there.

"Oh I have sent them on a quest." Eriol and Yelan shared a smile.

"What kind of a quest?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Oh you'll see soon."

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Again with the cryptic."

"You know you could try to be nicer! He _is_ you're ancestor!" Sakura argued.

"I don't need you to tell me what to do." He glared.

"Somebody has to!" She glared back.

Eriol chuckled. "What happened to you two? You were getting along so well last night!"

"NO, we weren't!" They protested at the same time.

Meilin laughed, "You know, arguing with that isn't going to get you anywhere because we all saw you two!"

Syaoran growled. "Well the only reason I put up with you last night-"

"Put up with me?" Sakura exclaimed. "You're the arrogant one!"

"Oh you are such a little whiner!"Syaoran yelled.

"I'm the whiner? _I'm_ the whiner! You're the one who has to find something wrong with everything!"

Syaoran slammed his hands on the table, "You are impossible! I hope you know that our little truce last night was a one time deal! I was only nice to you because I wanted to get out of there desperately!"

"You call that nice! Then what are you like when you're freakin'-about-to-lose-your-mind-  
mad!"

Syaoran growled, "like this." He got up from the table and walked away but not before getting hit by a bread roll that was tossed at him by Meilin.

OoOoO

Sakura and Eriol were in the backyard practicing with the cards. The Li sisters, Meilin, and Yelan were watching, impressed. Using the Firey and Watery, Sakura had put on a show for them. After it was over, they applauded.

Unknown to them Syaoran was also watching the young Mistress's little show.

Just then Kero and Yue walked out from the mansion.

"Kero!" Sakura waved happily.

"We got what you wanted," Yue said to Eriol as he handed him an ancient book. Then as he moved away a young girl, Sakura's age, with dark her and a video camera in her hand, walked out.

Sakura squealed and ran to hug the girl. "Tomoyo!"

"Sakura!" The girl hugged back.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked her.

Tomoyo opened her mouth to answer but Eriol beat her to it. "Since I heard about your dreams, I thought you might feel a little lonely here. So, I called up Tomoyo and asked her if she would want to come here and since Kero and Yue were already on a quest, I just asked them to pick her up before coming here."

"Oh thank you Eriol!" Sakura smiled.

"And thank you, Mrs. Li for allowing me to stay here," Tomoyo said sweetly.

Yelan smiled. "It's nothing, my child."

Meilin and the Li sisters gladly offered to show Tomoyo to her room. Tomoyo smiled sweetly at Eriol before leaving with them.

OoOoO

Meilin was walking down the corridor on her way to the kitchen to get the maids to bring up something when she overheard something quite interesting.

"There is a prophecy about them," Eriol said.

Meilin stood against the door of the room in which he was along with Yelan, Yue, and Kero.

"There is?" Kero asked angrily. "It better say that Sakura kicks his sorry butt in a challenge or something!"

"Not quite." Eriol chuckled but there was a hint of sadness in it. "Last night, after seeing the chemistry between those two, something familiar struck me. Then I sent you two to get this book which contains the prophecy. The prophecy basically says 'There will be two who shall triumph against a great evil and together they shall save the world; however while doing so they shall cause each other the pain of a thousand lost lovers.' I haven't fully translated the prophecy because the rest of it seems to be in a different code."

"So they will do great good together but what does it mean 'they shall cause each other the pain of a thousand lost lovers'?" Yelan asked with worry in her voice.

"Nothing good," Yue replied. "They must not know of this."

"I am assuming that there will either be a great sacrifice that will cause them tremendous pain or that they hurt each other... emotionally," Eriol whispered.

Meilin gasped and quickly covered her mouth. She ran before they could find out she had been eavesdropping.

OoOoO

Syaoran was in his outdoor training area practicing with his sword. He concentrated on moving his sword with the grace and deadly accuracy that he had been taught but his mind just wasn't on task today. He sighed and gave up for now. He walked to the little fountain with the statue of a girl and boy, hugging each other. He sat on the side and looked up at the mansion and his eyes landed on Sakura's balcony. He remembered that night that they had 'met' down there. He smiled at the memory.

He couldn't understand what had made him be that forward with Sakura that night. Then he looked down at the fountain and in the water he saw Sakura's reflection. She was beautiful there was no doubt in that. She also had a certain spark in her personality. But she was just so damn contradicting. She was like his exact opposite. They would practically bite off each other's heads if someone left them alone in a room for even a minute!

Then suddenly he saw a red liquid like blood cover Sakura's reflection and make it disappear. He jumped up in fright and blinked only to realize that a red flower petal had fallen in the water.

Red petal?

He looked around. There were no trees or bushes with red flowers. How did that petal get there?

"Looking for something?" came a familiar voice from behind him.

He turned around and calmly answered, "No. What are you doing here Meilin?"

She laughed and sat on the edge of the fountain. "I'm staying here until my parents get back from Europe, remember?"

"I didn't mean that and you know it." He noticed her pale face. "Are you all right?"

Meilin smiled and shook her head. "Yeah."

"Liar. Tell me." He sat next to her.

"I- I heard..."She drifted away in thoughts.

"You heard what?" He asked softly.

"I can't tell you." She sighed.

"You've always been able to tell me anything. Even things I never wanted to know. It's one of your annoying charms." He smiled at her.

She smiled back uneasily. "Well, it has to do with you."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "It has to do with me but you can't tell me?"

"Well it's complicated and it doesn't just have to do with you."

"Ok... But if you ever feel like talking about it, I'm here." He put an hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks."

They sat there for a while in a calming silence, watching the natural beauty around them until Meilin broke the silence. "Syaoran?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?" she asked in an fidgety voice.

He looked at her suspiciously. "It depends... What's the question?"

"Have you... ever... thought about falling in love?"

Syaoran stared at her speechless. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out.

Meilin gazed in his eyes searching for an answer. He sighed and looked down. "I don't know. I don't think I ever will fall in love."

"I don't think that's true."

He looked at her and she was smiling.

"In fact I know for a fact that one day you will fall in love."

He smirked and said sarcastically, "Did you read that in some ancient prophecy or something?"

"Or something." She smirked.

Now curious, Syaoran asked, "Meilin what's going on?"

Her eyes became clouded and she hugged him. Syaoran was caught off guard. "Meilin you're scaring me what's going on?"

"Promise me something." Meilin let go of him and there were tears running down her beautiful face.

"What?"

She started sobbing and couldn't continue. Syaoran hugged her. "Meilin what's wrong?"

"Meilin?" Xeifa asked. "What's wrong honey?" She walked up to her and pulled her up.

Meilin just continued sobbing.

"What did you do to her?" Xeifa accused Syaoran.

"Nothing! I have no idea what's going on! And why am I always accused for everything!"

Xeifa shook her head and let Meilin back into the mansion.

Syaoran's eyes landed on Sakura's balcony again. "Ever since you came here, everything's turned upside down."

OoOoO

The rest of the Li sisters left Sakura's room to go find out what had happened to Meilin and Xeifa and also to give Tomoyo and Sakura some time to catch up.

"So how have you been doing?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura smiled. "Ok, but it's a lot better now that you're here."

Tomoyo giggled. "Why did Eriol say you were having a bit of a trouble with things then?"

Sakura looked at the floor. "I've been having some weird dreams."

"Weird?"

"Well in the dream somebody is trying to kill me."

Tomoyo gasped. "Are you sure it's not just a regular nightmare?"

"I doubt it. I've been having them too often."

Sakura explained the dreams to Tomoyo in detail, and when she was done Tomoyo asked, "So you think the killer in your dreams is Mrs. Li's son?"

"No! Ye- I don't know!"

"Is he cute?"

Sakura stared at her speechless. Did she actually just ask if Syaoran was cute? What was she suppose to say? 'Oh yeah he's a total hottie but he is so darn cranky all the time'? No, she couldn't say that, even if it was to her best friend.

"Sakura?" Tomoyo waved her hand in front of her face. "Hello?"

Sakura shook her head and smiled at her friend. "Hi."

Tomoyo eyed her suspiciously. "You know you never answered my question but I guess there's no need."

"Why?"

"Because you're blushing, which means you _do_ think he's cute, which means you _like _him!" Tomoyo squealed.

Boy did she get the wrong impression. And she wasn't blushing, was she? Sakura shook her head and said, "No, no, no, no, no! That is so far from the truth it's like on the other side of the planet! I don't like him, not one little bit, no! I don't! I mean he's cranky, he argues with me all the time, he is so fun-deprived, and he is just too uptight-"

"Sakura?" Tomoyo had on a big grin.

"Yes?" Sakura looked up at her.

"You're babbling."

"I am?"

"Yes, and you know what that means?" Tomoyo's grin got bigger.

Sakura feared seeing that. "Something tells me I don't want to know."

Tomoyo giggled. "All right then. I won't tell you." She got up and walked to the window and looked out.

Sakura turned around on her bed. "Well, now you made me want to know."

Tomoyo giggled and looked at something amusing outside. "Sorry, honey, I'm not going to tell you. But I think somewhere deep, deep, deep, _deep_ in your subconscious you already know it."

"Know what?"

Tomoyo laughed and turned around. "That maybe you're falling for this tall, dark, handsome, and broody guy and it's scaring you and that is why you are having these nightmares."

"No! Tomoyo that is rediculous! I am not falling for him- wait. 'Tall, dark, handsome, and broody?' You don't even know what he looks like."

Tomoyo giggled. "Actually I think I just caught him staring at your balcony window."

Sakura ran to the window and looked down but there was no one there. "How do you know it was him?"

"Just a hunch." Tomoyo let out a dreamy sigh. "Oh I can't wait to meet him. Then I can start my plan to get you two together and making you happy, Sakura."

"I already am happy and there is _no way_ you are getting him and me together!" Sakura looked out the window again.

Tomoyo observed her friend closely and smiled. "So what do you do around here for fun?"

Sakura looked at her a bit dazed. "Oh, well I've only been here a few days and things have just been popping up."

"Well then lets go outside and wait for a few more things to pop up."

"You're weird" Sakura let herself be dragged out of the room.

OoOoO

Eriol was walking to the dining room when somebody ran up to him.

"Hi Eriol."

"Hello Meilin." He smiled at her. Eriol noticed her anticipation. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Well yes." She stopped walking. Eriol stood beside her waiting for her to continue. "I sort of overheard the conversation you were having with the others earlier about ... the prophecy." She looked down at the ground in shame.

Eriol chuckled. Meilin looked up at him in surprise. "You're not mad?"

"I thought that it was you hiding behind the door." He grinned.

"You did?" Meilin gasped. "So is it true? Are Sakura and Syaoran destined to be star-crossed lovers! Are they going to fall hopelessly in love but never be able to be together!" Meilin looked at him with tears and anticipation in her eyes.

Eriol chuckled. "Are you trying to become a romance novelist? I'm afraid not, Meilin. I read some more of the text and as it turns out, Sakura and Syaoran are not the people in the prophecy."

"Oh." Meilin almost sounded disappointed but then cheered up. "That means that when they do fall in love, they _will_ be able to be together!" She squealed and ran away yelling, "Thank you, Eriol!"

Eriol smile immediately went away. "I'm sorry for lying to you Meilin but it is best if you don't know the truth. I must do everything in my power to stop them from falling for each other."

"Falling for each other?" asked a feminine voice from behind him. Eriol turned around and came face to face with Tomoyo and Sakura.

"Oh, I meant falling for each other's tricks! You know how Syaoran and Kero are constantly fighting."

Sakura laughed and Tomoyo smiled politely. "Yes they are. Oh Kero told me that he even threatened Syaoran to stay away from me! Can you believe that!" Sakura laughed harder.

Sakura looked between Eriol and Tomoyo and noticed they were just smiling. "Um, I just remembered I left something in my room. Would you excuse me? I'll be right back Tomoyo." Before she could get an answer, Sakura nudged Tomoyoand ran back towards her room.

Eriol and Tomoyo looked at each other awkwardly. "Is everything all right?" Tomoyo asked.

"Yes. Why wouldn't it be?" Eriol smiled.

"You seem worried about something." Tomoyo's eyes told him that she was truly concerned. "And that thing you said about stopping them from falling. I know you didn't mean Syaoran and Kero. You were talking about Sakura and Syaoran weren't you?"

Eriol looked at her uneasy. He sighed. "I foresee great heartbreak for them."

"Why?" She frowned.

"I-" He looked around to make sure nobody was listening then leaned in to whisper. "I have read a prophecy about them that says they will cause each other great heartache."

Tomoyo gasped.

"I shouldn't have told you that." Eriol shook his head and started pacing. "I don't know why I did."

"Are you sure the prophecy is about them?"

"I am positive. It has already been set in motion. I'm afraid that very soon they will become tangled in this messy web and then just ruin their lives-"

She put a hand on his shoulder, "You can't protect them from Fate. You have to let it take its course and let them make their own choices about falling in love." She smiled smiled at him. "Eriol, life is about taking chances. It's about believing in the possibility even though life has given us every reason not to. It's not about the future, it's about the moment. If you ask me, I would prefer to have even known what great love was like and then lose it, then to have never known it at all. Your prophecy only says of the pain they will cause each other but what about the good things? What about the thing they could learn about life, love, and themselves from taking that chance? There would be no good without the bad and if the pain afterwards is as great as you make it sound, then just imagine how amazing their love will be like. And besides, maybe if their love is great enough it can even defy the stars."

Eriol smiled. "Such wisdom from someone so young." She blushed. "You talk about love with such a passion. Have you ever experienced it?"

Tomoyo shook her head. "No, but I'd like to think that when I do, it will be a magnificent thing that I will never forget."

Eriol smiled at her and nodded. "I hope the same for you."

OoOoO

It was late in the evening and all the girls were gathered together for tea. The girls started laughing as Meilin made another joke about Sakura and Syaoran being in the closet together during Eriol's test, yet again.

"Ok that's like the tenth time you've made that joke in the last five minutes Meilin. Can you drop it now?" Sakura smiled uneasy.

Meilin giggled. "I'm just teasing you! It's only us girls anyway."

Fanren smirked, "Yeah besides, we all think you and my brother would make the perfect couple!"

Sakura scrunched her face. "What would make you think that? We're like total opposites."

"Yes but opposites attract!" Feimei pointed out.

Sakura looked to her best friend for help. Tomoyo who was laughing just shrugged and said, "Sorry Sakura, but I kind of agree with them. I saw they way you two were looking at each other during dinner and I must admit there is definitely something going on there."

"We didn't even look at each other once!" Sakura exclaimed. "Ok so maybe once or twice but I wouldn't call it looking it was more like glaring!"

They all laughed. "That's true," Fuutie shook her head.

Something knocked against the window. It sounded like a little pebble hitting it. "What is that?" Sakura asked as she grabbed Tomoyo's arm and hid behind her.

Xeifa looked at her and laughed. "Shouldn't it be the other way around? I mean you're the one with the magical powers. Shouldn't you be protecting her instead of using her as a shield?"

Sakura looked at her sheepishly.

Meilin looked out the window and giggled. "It's nothing. I'll be back in 5 minutes." She opened the window and climbed out.

"You sure that's enough time?" Fanren yelled after her sarcastically. Fuutie started giggling uncontrollably.

"Uh... What's going on?" Sakura asked confused.

Feimei grinned. "Meilin's down there meeting her lover boy."

"Lover boy?" Tomoyo asked.

"She didn't tell me she had a boyfriend! And all this time she's been trying to set _me _up?" Sakura huffed.

Fuutie's giggles slowed down enough for her to say, "Well, it's kind of a secret romance thing she's having with the neighbor's son." Then she shook her head and fell on the floor, giggling again. "SECRET ROMANCE!"

"Well I don't think it's a secret anymore." Tomoyo smiled.

Meilin climbed back in the window.

"Well, well, well." Sakura said as she put her hands on her hips. "Care to tell us who he was?" she smirked.

Meilin blushed and looked down.

OoOoO

_The fires were getting higher and hotter. They started chasing after her. She ran. She didn't know where she was but everything seemed dark.. It was an old house that seemed like it was about to collapse on her. She ran faster. The walls seemed to be alive and evil, as if they were trying to pull her in and swallow her. She ran out of the house but instead of being free she suddenly found herself in the middle of a maze. _

_The fire caught up to her but stopped 5 feet from her. Suddenly it wasn't even that hot. In fact, it was cold. Then the fire rose to the sky and slammed down on her. She closed her eyes and curled into a ball, preparing herself for the pain that was about to come down on her but she didn't feel the burn. _

She opened her eyes and she looked around. She was still in a maze garden but it wasn't the same one she was just in. She looked down and saw herself in her pajamas. No wonder she was cold. Had she dreamt it all again? Did she sleep walk out of the mansion and into this maze? Was the maze on the Li grounds?

A twig snapped behind her. She whirled around and saw Syaoran standing 10 feet from her. He looked different. He looked evil in his black shirt and jeans. Then she noticed that he had his sword out. She gasped remembering the dream. She looked from the sword to him. He had on a menacing, smirk. He raised a brow as if challenging her to stay. She screamed and ran away from him twisting and turning in the maze, going deeper and deeper into it, away from the mansion.

* * *

Thank you guys so much for reviewing the last chapter! Please continue to support this fanfic by reviewing. If you have any suggestions please tell me. 

Also I need a NAME for MEILIN'S LOVER BOY! Please give me some suggestions .

If you want me to email u and tell you when this story is updated please tell me in the reviews and leave your email.


	7. Lost And In Need of Answers

A/N The sentences in _italics_ are dreams.

Thank you all so much for reviewing and those of you who suggested names! I only picked one for Meilin's boyfriend's name but I am going to use all the names suggested for something else in the future! Thank you! You guys rock!

* * *

Sakura ran as fast as her legs could carry her. A few times she almost tripped on her own feet and fell but got up and continued running for her life again. She could hear the swishing sounds made by Syaoran's sword. This was getting her no where, she could run forever but she wouldn't lose him. 

Her hand flew to her neck for the key but it wasn't there. She started panicking even more. She made a turn and another. She could no longer hear Syaoran's running feet behind her. She stopped and hid around the corner. She listened for any noise but not even the natural sounds of the night could be heard.

Then the sharp end of the sword cut through the grass wall of the maze and pierced her arm. She screamed and began to run again. She kept looking back to see if he was catching up on her. He was no longer in sight but she was sure he was still following her. She couldn't stop screaming. She knew it would help him track her down but she just couldn't stop.

Her vision started to blur and she couldn't concentrate on where she was running and she ran into something- or more exactly, some_one. _

She looked up and there was Syaoran again. She screamed her heart out and tried to run the other way again but he caught her hand. "Where are you going?" He asked.

"Away from you!" she kicked his knee and ran again. "Help!"

"I _am _here to help you! Why are you running away!" Syaoran yelled as he ran after her.

Sakura wouldn't listen to him. She just kept running until she came to a dead end in the maze. She turned and saw that he was blocking the only exit. She couldn't take it anymore. She fell on her knees and started whimpering. "Please don't kill me."

Syaoran just stood there shocked. It was then that Sakura noticed his clothes where different. Earlier when he was chasing her he was wearing all black and now he was wearing green sweats and no shirt. He didn't even have his sword with him anymore.

Syaoran raised a brow as her eyes scanned him. She blushed and looked away.

Wait! She blushed? He was trying to kill her and she was blushing! The little voice in her head was screaming, 'What is wrong with you!'

Then she heard flapping of wings. Keroberos and Yue flew down to them. Sakura ran up to Keroberos and hugged him. "Are you ok? We heard your screaming."

Sakura shook her head and cried.

She climbed on his back and they got out of the maze.

When she got out she ran to Tomoyo who was waiting for them. She hugged her and cried.

"Sakura, why did you do this?" Eriol asked her.

Sakura looked at him confused. "What do you mean me?"

Eriol pointed at the maze. "That's your Maze Card. Why would you trap yourself in the Maze Card?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, I didn't do this. And that can't be Maze! I don't even have my Key with me! I don't know how I got there-" For a split second she looked back at the maze and she saw Syaoran dressed in black, with the sword in hand, grinning maliciously at her. Then her gaze flew to the other Syaoran standing in next to Kero and everything blacked out.

O o O o O

Sakura woke up to the worried faces of her friends. She remembered seeing two Syaorans and she immediately sat up and ran towards the window of the living room, where she had been lain down on the couch. "Where is he?" she asked shocked.

"Who, dear?" Yelan asked her. Fear still visible in her eyes.

"There - there was two of them! He tried to kill me and then didn't try to kill me and he changed his clothes and wasn't wearing black and I thought I was gonna die and I didn't have my necklace and I need to find it-" Meilin grabbed her by the shoulders and stopped her from pacing.

"Don't make me slap you..." She warned. "Start from the beginning. How did you get lost in the middle of your own maze?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, I didn't create the maze! I don't know how I ended up there I just remember waking up and standing in the middle of the maze. And then Syaoran was there and he attacked me with the sword and tried to kill me!"

"No, I didn't!" Syaoran protested. Sakura's gaze flew to the direction of his voice and she saw that he had been standing in the corner of the room still in his sweats and no top, arms crossed at his chest. "I was at the gym with my trainer until I heard your screaming."

"He's right Sakura, it couldn't have been Syaoran you saw in the maze," Eriol explained. Once Sakura looked at him she saw he had a weary look on his face and even a bit of fear in his eyes. Before she could even ask what was wrong he answered. "I have some more bad news. We can't find your key or any of your cards. Somehow amongst all the confusion even maze disappeared right from under our noses."

Sakura's legs gave away under her and she was about to go collapse but Yue caught her and placed her back on the couch. Kero flew up to her face. "We'll find them Sakura. No one else can wield the cards except you so, they can't have any use for them."

That still didn't cheer up Sakura. She didn't even seem to be listening anymore. "I failed," she whispered. "I'm not worthy." Tears formed in her eyes. "I shouldn't be the card mistress."

Eriol kneeled in front of her. "Sakura, don't be ridiculous. You're the only one destined for the cards. Even Clow Reed himself thought you were worthy."

"But I lost them. I lost the cards and the key. Syaoran wouldn't have done that." She burried her face in her hands.

Syaoran gasped, surprised at what she had said.

Eriol shook his head and placed both hands on her shoulders. "Sakura listen to me. Whoever is doing all of this to you is expecting this reaction. Don't let them control you, Sakura. This person is playing with your thoughts, making you think Syaoran wants to kill you and that you aren't worthy of the cards. Do you understand me?"

Sakura nodded her head 'yes' but continued sobbing.

Eriol shook his head and got up. Tomoyo sat next to her and hugged her. Sakura turned and buried her face in her friend's shirt crying her heart out. "Why me!"

"I don't know, sweetie." Tomoyo caressed her back comfortingly.

"I'm not losing my mind. Someone really was trying to kill me! Look!" She looked down at her arm where the cut had been from the sword but it was gone. She gasped.

"It's ok I healed your cut, Sakura." Eriol calmed her down. "But maybe I should send you back to Japan. I don't want you to get hurt."

"If somebody wants to hurt her so bad then it won't matter where she is," Tomoyo explained.

Yelan looked at Eriol with a fear stricken face. "Eriol? What if this is part of the pro-" She stopped herself before she said more.

Eriol looked at Tomoyo and remembered what she had said about letting fate take its course. "If it is then I think she should stay."

Yelan gasped. Sakura looked at them in confusion. "Wha-"

"You told me it wasn't about them!" Meilin yelled at Eriol. "You- you lied to me?"

Yelan looked at her in shock. "How did you know?"

Sakura, Syaoran, and the Li sisters were all staring at them. "Know what?" They all said at the same time.

"Nothing." Eriol turned to the window and looked out at the starless sky. "Whoever's doing all of this must be watching our every move. Sakura, come with me." He strolled out of the room with a stern face.

Sakura looked at the others and then ran after him.

OoOoO

"I'm going to put you into a light slumber and then I'm going to recall one of the dreams from your subconscious. In the dream world I want you to look around and try to find some clue as to who this person is." Eriol was sitting across her in the circle of candles.

They were in a dark room that was lit only by the candles and the smell of incense was filling the room. "I don't know how." Sakura played with her fingers nervously.

"Yes you do. Just concentrate on the person sending you the dream not the dream itself." Eriol looked at her.

"How do you know she's sending me the dreams?" Sakura looked at suspiciously. "And what is it that you and the others know that you won't tell me?"

"You'll find out when the time is right. Until then I can't tell you anything now please Sakura cooperate with me?"

Sakura nodded and prepared herself.

"Now I don't want you to try and fight the person or have any contact with them at all. Just try to find some clue as to who it is ok?" Eriol put a hand up to her forehead and muttered something under his breath. Sakura's eyes fluttered and her head fell back and hit a pillow that was waiting for her there.

_She opened her eyes and she was back in the garden with her lookalike and Syaoran. This time she concentrated on her surrounding. She looked around trying to sense anything then she spotted it. A ripple in the air like a portal, behind one of the trees._

_She walked towards it and she could sense a very powerful aura coming from it. It was stronger than anything she had ever felt and it caused her immense fear. She wanted to turn and run but couldn't. She wanted to find out who was behind it all. She stopped at the portal scared to death. She stretched her hand and watched it disappear in the portal. She gasped and pulled it back. She couldn't do it. She couldn't do it. "Yes! Yes you can!" said a very familiar and soothing voice._

_Sakura gasped and turned around but saw nothing. Her heart started racing. Who had said that? That voice was so familiar but she just couldn't place it._

_Somehow that voice had put confidence back into her spirit. She turned back to the portal and jumped through it. As soon as she felt herself get pulled in, another force started pushing her out. _

She flew out of a dark mirror placed in the middle of a pentagram on the floor of a very musky room. She looked at the mirror and saw the dream world she had just been kicked out of. She looked down at her hands and noticed that they were transparent. "Great the one thing I'm terrified of, is the one thing I turn into."

She heard a gasp and turned around. A strikingly beautiful woman who couldn't have been more than 20 years old was standing in front of her in a flowing, white gown. She had a glowing, golden sun on her forehead. "How did you get here?"

"A better question would be, what do you want with me?" Sakura pretended to be braver than she felt at the moment.

The woman's face hardened. "I want nothing to do with _you! _I just want what I deserve and you happen to be standing in the way of me getting it." She smirked and a glowing orb appeared on her hand.

Sakura gasped. This couldn't be good. She had a feeling that even though she was like a ghost at the moment, it would still hurt if she got hit by the orb, or even worse, she could die!

But before she had a chance to react the woman sent the orb flying towards her. Sakura stared in shock as it came towards her and at the last second she was pulled out of there by a bright light.

OoOoO

Everyone besides Eriol was gathered outside the room the ritual was being taken place in. They were all fidgety and nervous. They could feel very powerful auras in the room. Even those with out the ability to sense auras could feel the tension and magic in the air.

"Something's wrong I can feel it," Syaoran said. He seemed to be the only one who wasn't going crazy by pacing up and down the narrow corridor.

"What?" Meilin asked, her face pale.

"I sense only one aura in that room and that's Eriol's."

Kero and Yue looked at each other nervously. Yelan slapped Syaoran's arm. "Don't say such things. You scare us!"

"Sakura!" Eriol's voice came from the room. It sounded panicked so they all rushed into the room and found Eriol by Sakura's side trying to revive her.

"What happened?" everyone asked.

"I - I don't know!"

OoOoO

Sakura opened her eyes and was surrounded by undefinable beauty. "Where am I?" she asked no one in particular.

"In Heaven," said the same calm voice from earlier.

Sakura's body froze. She sound came from behind her but she hesitated to turn around and face the person for now she knew who's voice that was.

She didn't want to think about the fact that the person had just said she was in heaven and that probably meant she was dead. She just wanted to turn around fall into the arms of the person behind her.

She turned her head and saw the graceful presence of her mother. Her eyes misted and ran to hug her. "Mom!" Her knees failed her and she fell still holding on to her mother. She cried her heart out to her.

"It's all right Sakura. It'll all be fine."

Then she dared to ask the dreaded question. "Am I dead?"

Her mother laughed. "No sweet heart, you're not."

"Then why am I here?" She looked up at her mother's eyes.

"You weren't suppose to be there Sakura, no one is. If you had stayed there for one second longer you could've been killed. So I pulled your soul out of there." She brushed the tear soaked strands of her out of Sakura's face. "You have grown into a beautiful young lady Sakura, capable of doing such great things."

"Thank you, Mom."

"Soon you'll be all grown up and you'll fall in love and -"

But before she could continue Sakura felt everything around her become fuzzy and a pulling sensation tugged on her spirit."What's happening?"

"It's time for you to wake up." Her mother hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead.

"But I don't want to leave you!" She clasped onto her with all her strength but the pulling sensation was becoming even more powerful.

"Sakura I am your guardian angel, I'm always by your side. All you have to do is look for me with your heart." She looked at her with an almost pained smile. "I couldn't bear to see you get hurt."

"I'm all right and I'll be even more careful from now on." She whispered as she felt herself being pulled away from her mother into a portal.

Her mother laughed. "I'm afraid there's nothing you can do to protect yourself from this kind of pain, Sakura."

"What do you mean?" She felt herself become a spirit again and rush back into the portal but just before she left, she heard her mother whisper something to her.

"Fate has a heart-breaking destiny set out for you my dear."

She opened her mouth to question what she had meant but she felt herself drown completely in the bright light and then wake up in her bed at the Li mansion. She looked around and saw Eriol and Tomoyo and Yelan by her side. Everyone else was huddled by the door. She laughed at the sight of them all toppled on each other trying to see inside the room.

"Are you all right?" Tomoyo asked with tears running down her face. "You were talking about your mom."

"Get off em I can't breath!" Meilin mumbled from the doorway and suddenly they all lost their balance and fell on the floor. Sakura noticed that Syaoran was standing behind them leaning against the wall looking right at her. She remembered how she had continuously accused him of trying to kill her and looked away, feeling guilty.

Yelan glared at them. "Didn't I tell you to stay outside the room?"

"It's all right," Sakura said. "And I wasn't talking about my mom. I was talking _to_ her."

Tomoyo gasped. "How is that possible? She's - she's..."

"She's my guardian angel," Sakura finished for her. "She saved me from the glowing orb thing."

"Orb?" everyone wondered out loud at the same time.

"I saw the person who was sending me the dreams. She said I was in her way."

"Who was she?" Kero flew in from the window with Yue.

"I don't know. But she was.. So beautiful... almost like an angel, but far from it!"

"What about your mom, what did she say?" Meilin asked her.

"My mother said that I was going to get hurt and there was no way to stop this kind of pain. Then she told me..." She frowned and tried to remember what her mother had said. "That Fate has heart-breaking plans for me."

Five sets of eyes flew to Eriol. Meilin, Tomoyo, Yelan, Yue, and Kero all awaited some sort of answer from him. Sakura even looked at him with expectant eyes. "Do you know what she meant by that?"

Eriol looked out into the dark night. "It's a deadly risk to even try to mess with Fate."

An awkward silence filled the room.

Tomoyo decided to break it. "We have some good news." Sakura looked at her. "Eriol put a blocking spell on on you. Now no one can try to mess with your mind no matter where you are."

"Thank you," Sakura whispered to Eriol.

Eriol didn't seem to have heard her.

Kero sat down next to her pillow. "We haven't found your key or cards yet but we will."

"Yes, we will." The little chat with her mother had restored some courage in her and she had a feeling that no matter what this new challenge was she could conquer it.

OoOoO

It was the day after and things had somewhat calmed down.

Sakura was walking down the corridor all by herself. She stopped at a door and looked inside for a second before knocking on the open door.

Syaoran who was sitting on the couch, staring outside, didn't answer the knock.

"S - Syaoran?" Sakura asked in a low voice.

Her voice snapped him back to reality and he turned to face her. He raised a brow at her. "Aren't you afraid I'll try to kill you?"

Sakura looked down, guilty. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. I'm really, truly sorry about accusing you of those things. Please try to understand that I was being played. Someone wanted me to think those things! I'm really sorry! Please forgive me." Tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

He looked her straight in the eyes for a minute and then said, "I understand."

Sakura stared at him. "You do?"

"Yeah, it's not your fault somebody was messing with your thoughts." he shrugged. "There was nothing you could do."

Anger started to boil inside her. "And you could, if it were you?"

"Yes." He smirked at her. "I'm mentally too strong for anyone to try and control."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "And what am I? Weak?"

He raised his hands in defense. "Hey, you said it, not me!"

"Oh- Oh you are just- just-"

He got up and walked up to her, arms crossed across his chest, grinning. "Just what?"

Sakura glared at him. "You are so unbelievably arrogant!" She turned and walked out of the room.

Syaoran sighed in frustration. He's done it again! Why couldn't he be in the same room as her for longer than a second and not argue with her? What was it that made him so desperate to want to see that fire in her eyes?

OoOoO

Sakura walked down the corridor still fuming over her argument with Syaoran when she noticed Meilin peaking over the corner at something. She walked up to her and tapped her shoulder. Meilin turned around and put her index finger over her lips, motioning for her to be quiet then she pointed to the thing she was looking at.

Sakura peaked at the corner and saw Eriol and Tomoyo. Tomoyo was giggling at something Eriol had said. "He's telling the closet story again." Meilin whispered in her ear, giggling.

"Great." Sakura mumbled. "I'm never going to live this down!"

They seem to have noticed them and walked over to them. "What's up guys?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura sank into the ground, embarrassed.

Meilin grinned mischievously. "I wanted to ask you the same thing."

Tomoyo blushed and Eriol smiled. "I'm going to leave you girls alone." He glanced at Tomoyo before walking away.

Meilin squealed. "So?"

"So what?" Tomoyo asked, still blushing.

Meilin rolled her eyes. "So what's going on between you two?"

"Uh.. Nothing?" Tomoyo looked to her best friend for help but Sakura was huddled against the wall smiling at her.

"Oh don't look at me! I can't help the things that go on in that crazy person's mind! She actually thinks that I have this secret attraction to her cousin that I can't seem to find because it's hidden deep in the darkness of my mind!" Sakura started laughing.

At that Tomoyo and Meilin looked at each other and smiled. "I wonder where she got _that_ idea!" Tomoyo said.

Meilin smirked. "The same place I got the idea of you and Eriol!"

Tomoyo blushed and looked to Sakura. "You're right. She's crazy! Let's go!" She grabbed her hand and led her down the corridor.

"Oh come on!" Meilin giggled and followed them.

"Oh Meilin!" came the oh-so-sweet voice of Feimei from downstairs. "Could you come down here a sec?"

Meilin and Tomoyo and Sakura went downstairs.

"What's up Feimei?" Meilin asked, eyeing her suspiciously. "You seem way too upbeat."

"Oh that's only because I'm excited that Sakura and Tomoyo will soon be meeting your lover boy!" Feimei smirked.

Meilin opened her mouth to ask what she had meant by that but was interrupted by a male voice from behind them. "Hi, Meilin."

All three turned around and came face to face with a handsome boy with brown hair and blue eyes. "Ryu!" Meilin exclaimed and ran to hug him.

Meilin pulled Ryu towards the girls. "Ryu I would like you to meet our guests, Sakura and Tomoyo. This is Ryu Tao... our neighbor."

Sakura and Tomoyo smiled and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you," he said politely

"Neighbor huh?" Both asked at the same time. It was time for them to embarrass her about _her_ love life.

Meilin saw where this was going and spoke up. "So Ryu what bring you here?"

"Actually, I came to invite you all to a play." He smiled showing off his pearly, white teeth. "My brother, Len, is back in town and he got invited to this big play premier tomorrow night and he asked me to invite you lovely ladies."

"That sounds great!" Feimei exclaimed. "Is your brother going to be there?"

Ryu chuckled. "Yes."

"Ok then I'm definitely going!" Feimei ran up the stairs.

"I think she may have a thing for my brother," Ryu joked causing everyone to laugh.

"Well, if you'll excuse us, we have to go find the perfect outfit for tomorrow!" Tomoyo and Sakura giggled running up the stairs to their rooms.

"So..." Meilin turned to Ryu with a playful smile.

"So... what?" he grinned.

Meilin tilted her head to the side and gave him the puppy dog eyes. Ryu laughed and pulled her to him by the bottom of her shirt, and gently kissed her on the lips.

"Aww!" Came multiple squeals from the stairs.

Meilin turned and a red fire flashed dangerously in her eyes, causing their on-lookers to scramble.

Ryu chuckled and held her close.

* * *

WARNING **MUSICAL CHAPTER **AHEAD! lol ok not in the next chapter but in the near future chapters, i want to write a chapter where they all get sucked into a musical! Tell me what you think ok! 

Thanks to those of you who suggested Ryu for Meilin's boyfriend's name! Kaoru4, Chikichiki, Lady Akina.

Thanks to everyone else who reviewed also but I'm really sorry that I don't have time to thank all of you personally!


	8. BIG Misunderstanding, Right?

The Li sisters, Tomoyo, and Sakura were sitting in the limo with Ryu, outside the mansion, waiting for Meilin. "What's taking her so long?" complained Fuuti.

Just at that moment, the limo door opened at Meilin got in, looking not so happy. "What's wrong?" Sakura asked.

Meilin just rolled her eyes and looked towards the open car door. Two figures walked up to the car and got in.

The girls looked at Syaoran and Eriol in surprise. Ryu however wasn't so surprised. He just grinned.

"I thought you said you were only inviting the 'lovely ladies'." Meilin said to Ryu.

He laughed. Meilin continued, "I mean they don't look that lovely!" All the other girls joined in the laughing. "No offense Eriol."

Eriol chuckled. "None taken."

Syaoran was glaring but didn't say anything to them. He just turned and told the driver to step on it.

. O . O . O .

When they arrived at the theater, there were many photographers trying to take their pictures and of course Syaoran was not happy about that. When they got out of the limo there were flashes going off all around them.

Syaoran glared at them all and he even growled at one of the reporters that was asking him if there was anyone 'special' in his life. A small giggling came from beside him.

Sakura lightly pulled him to her by his arm and whispered in his ear, loud enough for only him to hear over the noise, "Poor little rich boy, fame too much for you to handle?"

He was about to turn and say something very rude to her when a very evil idea struck him. He smirked and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Oh I can handle the fame just fine. The better question is ... Can you?"

Sakura gave him a confuse look and asked, "What is that suppose to mean?"

"You'll find out soon enough." He continued smirking as he offered her his arm. "May I escort you inside?"

Sakura was beyond confused. One second he was an arrogant jerk and the next he was being all nice. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were PMS-ing."

Syaoran chuckled as they walked inside, arm in arm.

. O . O . O .

They were all sitting in a private balcony set up just for them.

Meilin looked up when Sakura and Syaoran walked in. "Well what took you so long?"

Syaoran continued grinning. "Oh, nothing."

Everyone looked at Sakura for an answer. She just shrugged. "I'm just about as clueless as you guys."

Sakura sat next to Tomoyo, and Syaoran sat next to her at the end. Eriol was sitting next to Tomoyo and Meilin was sitting next to him with Ryu on her other side.

Sakura looked around and didn't see the Li sisters anywhere in sight. "Uh.. Where are the others?"

Ryu smiled and answered. "Oh they're at the other private balcony with my brother and his friends."

"So what play are we watching?" Tomoyo asked.

"I believe it's Shakespear's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'" Ryu told them.

"I love that one!" Tomoyo and Sakura said at the same time and laughed.

"Oh great," Syaoran said sarcastically. "An exciting night of watching people dress up as _fairies _and frolic around a stage."

"Oh come on, Captain Grumpy. At least pretend their real fairies."Sakura said from beside him.

Syaoran scoffed.

"Don't tell me you don't believe in fairies!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Don't tell me _you do_!" Syaoran spat back. "I mean come on! You of all people who are a sorceress, believe in fairies!" Just then Syaoran realized what he had said.

"A sorceress?" asked Ryu.

All the others, except Meilin glared at Syaoran.

"I think he meant magician, because Sakura loves magic so much she is learning some magic tricks and Syaoran probably got magician and sorceress confused. Didn't you Syaoran?" Tomoyo saved the day.

"Yeah whatever." Syaoran mumbled under his breath and looked to the stage.

Meilin and Ryu started cracking up. "Oh guys I'm sorry I didn't tell you but Ryu already knows about Clow Reed and this whole magical descendants thing."

"WHAT!" Syaoran was outraged. "You told him? How- Why- What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry but one time he saw you using magic and I _had_ to explain it to him." Meilin glared at Syaoran.

Syaoran glared back.

It was a good thing there were three people sitting between them or else a physical fight might have exploded too.

"We'll talk about this later," Syaoran growled under his breath.

An awkward silence settled upon them as they all faced the closed curtains again.

"Actually fairies very much exist." Eriol bravely broke the silence.

"They do?" All but Syaoran asked him.

"Yes, they do." Eriol smiled at them.

"Prove it." Syaoran said dryly.

Eriol's smile turned into a playful grin. "You know, my dear descendant, I think I will one day."

Sakura and Tomoyo exchanged worried glances. "Oh boy."

The curtains drew back and the play started.

"That is so fake," Syaoran mumbled under his breath.

Sakura smiled. "You just have no imagination."

Syaoran slowly faced her "You don't think the fairies flying around the stage by the wires look fake?"

"Like I said, you just have to use your imagination and pretend that it's real." Sakura whispered.

"Yeah, well I"ll believe in fairies and trolls when I see them myself." Syaoran huffed.

Eriol chuckled. "Be careful what you wish for, little descendant."

"Oh, shut up, Eriol!"

Ryu leaned in and whispered in Meilin's ear, "Is this common?"

Meilin giggled. "Oh yeah! They fight all the time."

"No, I meant Eriol calling Syaoran 'little descendant'."

Meilin laughed. "Oooh, yeah!"

Ryu chuckled and put his arm around her as they continued watching the play, not paying any attention to the two squabbling couples.

After about three hours, the play ended and they went home. It was around midnight and they were all very tired. Sakura grabbed Tomoyo's arm and ran towards the mansion. and whispered, "You know I hate to admit this but Syaoran was right. The flying fairies looked pretty fake!" They both started giggling.

"I"m sorry I don't think I heard you clearly, care to repeat that?" Syaoran said from behind them.

Sakura gasped and turned around. Tomoyo laughed.

"Well?" Syaoran crossed his arms and grinned.

"Well, what?" Sakura tried to seem clueless. "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh really?" Syaoran's grin got bigger.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Ok! Fine! The flying fairies looked fake, are you happy!"

"Ecstatic."

Sakura shook her head and ran into the mansion with Tomoyo.

The Li sisters, Meilin, Eriol, Ryu, and his brother Len were standing by the limo watching all this take place.

"I think that was more interesting then the actual play," Feimei said, making everyone laugh.

. O . O . O .

The next morning Sakura woke up to much excitement. It seemed like a herd of wild elephants was knocking down the door to her room.

She got up to open the door but before she even got to the door it broke open to let in Meilin, Tomoyo, Kero, Fuuti, Feimei, Fanren, and Xiefa.

They were all talking excitedly and waving around pieces of newspapers. Sakura couldn't understand anything they were saying so she just snatched the newspaper from Meilin's hand and looked at it.

Sakura's mouth dropped in shock and her feet gave away. Thankfully she was standing right by the bed, so she just fell on it.

Her mouth opened and closed, trying to form words but it was useless. She was in complete shock.

Then anger seeped through her and she grabbed her robe as she thundered down the hallway down to the breakfast table, the others hot on her tail.

She got to the table and slammed down the piece of paper in front of Syaoran, startling the other people at the table, Yelan and Eriol.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sakura demanded.

Syaoran looked at the front page of the newspaper that Sakura had slammed in front of him. There was a picture of them last night at the play where Sakura is holding on to Syaoran's arm and he's whispering something in her ear.

He read the title of the article aloud. "Is China's Richest, Youngest, Bachelor Taken?"

Yelan chocked on her tea. "Excuse me, what?"

"Yeah that's what we'd like to know," Fanren said from behind Sakura.

Syaoran smirked and shrugged. "You know how the tabloids love to make up silly stories just to sell more copies."

Sakura growled in frustration and turned to walk away but then turned back and pointed an accusing finger at him. "You knew they were going to do that! That's why you asked me if _I_ could handle fame! You totally played me!"

Eriol whistled, "Way to go, Little Descendant!"

Meilin punched his arm. "Who's side are you on?"

"I don't know. Who's side am I suppose to be on?" Eriol smiled innocently.

Wei walked into the room, saving Eriol from getting hit by Meilin again. "Mistress Sakura? There's a phone call from your brother. I must warn you, he seems quite furious by something."

Sakura gulped. As she left with Wei to answer the phone, the room was engulfed in an awkward silence.

Yelan cleared her throat. "Well, I bet the press are having a field day about this."

Eriol chuckled.

"Eriol, please, this is not funny." Yelan said. Then she smiled herself. "All right it's a bit funny."

Meilin walked up to Syaoran and glared at him. "Did you do this on purpose?"

Syaoran glared back but with a playful grin on his face. "Maybe."

"Why?"

"She started it." He got up and started walking out of the room.

Yelan ordered after him. "You'll apologize to her as soon as she gets off the phone, do you hear me Syaoran?"

"Yes mother." He responded from outside the room.

Eriol started laughing. "Oh I think this is going to be an unforgettable summer for us all!"

"Why do you say that?" Tomoyo asked as she sat down next to him.

"Sakura and Syaoran," he simply answered.

"I'm afraid you'll have to explain that a little further," Xiefa said.

"Well Sakura is usually a very levelheaded person but Syaoran somehow finds ways to get under her skin. Every time they're in the same room for a little over a minute, a fight breaks out and somehow I find it quite entertaining." Eriol smiled.

Tomoyo scrunched her brows. "Eriol! You're terrible!"

"I agree, Eriol," Yelan added. "But I must admit that those two do effect each other quite strongly. I don't think I've ever seen Syaoran play a prank on anyone before."

"And he definitely smiles more nowadays. Or should I say smirk?" Xiefa said.

"Hey where did that little stuffed animal go now?" Meilin asked.

. O . O . O .

"No!... Touya, that's not what happened!... I swear!... NO!... There's nothing going on between us!... I was just whispering something to him!... No, nothing like that!... If anything it was suppose to be an insult... I don't care if it doesn't look like that's what was happening!... You know what? I'll call back later and talk to dad, cause this is a useless conversation we're having!" Sakura yelled into the phone and hung up.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She turned to walk back to the room but halted when she saw who was leaning against the door, arms crossed.

"Our alleged 'relationship' has made _international_ news. My brother in Japan saw the pictures of us from last night and lost his mind." Sakura glared at him.

Syaoran looked at her seriously. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you any discomfort."

"Liar. That's exactly what you were trying to do."

Syaoran cracked a smile. "You're right."

Sakura ran a hand through her hair and analyzed the situation she was in.

Her brother was probably going crazy over her non-existent relationship with Syaoran. The entire country probably thought she was with him now, also. And there was no way Tomoyo and Meilin were going to back off about her and Syaoran getting together now! She was in way over her head. She couldn't deal with all those at the same time! So she came to a conclusion, she wasn't going to deal with it at all.

She was only going to be in China for a couple of months and then it would all be over. So, who cares if everyone thought she was with 'China's Youngest, Richest Bachelor'? It's not like it was true. Why should she waste her time worrying about it?

She sighed and looked up to see Syaoran still leaning against the door, studying her very carefully.

"What?"

He shrugged.

"You know what? I don't even care what the paper says. People can think whatever they want," Sakura walked up to the door expecting him to stand aside and let her through but he didn't budge. He continued to study her with his deep, dark, amber eyes. "So are you going to let me through or not?" She attempted to look unintimidated by his gaze.

"What if I say no?"

Sakura lifted a brow.

"Say the magic word."

Sakura stared at him. "The magic word?"

"Yeah. Do you know what it is?"

"As a matter of fact I do." She stood so close to him that she had practically pinned him against the door.

Syaoran tried to stay calm even though she was so close to him. "Well?"

She got on her toes and whispered in his ear, "Move." Then moved back to see his 'are-you-for-real?' expression. "Please," she added, smiling sweetly.

Syaoran chuckled and shook his head while moving out of the way and opening the door for her.

"Oh, what a gentleman," Sakura joked and walked out of the room.

Syaoran stood at the doorway and watched her walk away. Why did he always have these unexplainable reactions to her when he was alone with her?

"You better not be checking her out, you little brat."

Syaoran turned back to the room and looked around to see where the voice had come from.

"Up here."

Syaoran looked up at the top of one of the bookcases and saw Kero sitting there, legs and arms crossed, examining him. "How long have you been here?"

"Longer than you."

Syaoran gulped. So he had seen everything. Then why was he so calm about it? He had warned him about staying away form Sakura on the first day, yet here he was just sitting there calmly staring at him. It unnerved him. Syaoran turned to walk away before a fight broke out between them.

"Don't hurt her."

Syaoran stopped in his tracks. "What?"

"I said don't hurt her. She doesn't deserve that."

Syaoran turned to look at him. "What makes you think I would hurt her?"

Kero shrugged. "Sometimes we do things not because we want to but because we are destined to."

Syaoran was confused by that statement but not surprised. Lately there had been a lot of talk about Destiny and Fate in the Li Mansion. He wondered what that was all about.

* * *

I want to personally thank anyone who has reviewed from chapter 3 and so forth: (U guys rock and u have no idea how much I love you!) 

ying fa ccsbratPoisonmoon. girl from nowhere and janey. iluvanime493. BlackWitch41. paulina . Dani . erin . CelestialMoussy. Andy Lexis. Mei fa-chan. cherryblossom88. Kura-chan. angelmistress9. kaoru . dobyuk princess . Frosted BlossomZ. sHiPpO9113. () chidorii. lilkorsy7575 . NemesisMuse. Adriatic. dangerette. Silentwater. lil-star69er. Yhi. jillete. schoolqueen. claufiles. sk8tergurl12193. Blazing Unicorn. mimika. Aldalote. Ngoc1231. EvilSugaCherryGirl. Rebecca. YusukesgurlKeiko. LadyAkina. AsUcKeRfOrRoMaNcE. Ngoc1231. Wolf Jade. Irene . MidniteDreamer. shortygirl333. Mystic Moon Empress. Pinaygrrl. chikichiki. Cherrysinger. review lord. cute-mistress-paige. DivineShana. lexyV105. Kawaii Selene. devilish angel 4eva. MysticMoonEmpress. Callista Miralni. Lindariel12 . FlowerLover. sakandliluver. BriAnna. lydru. SweetJanie. Kaoru4.Enchanted-Princess. kenshinlover2002. Sin.Of.Angels

I am super sorry if I forgot anyone! Just tell me and I'll dediacate the next chapter to you!


	9. Truth or Dare!

All the girls were having a sleep-over in one of the guestrooms and watching "The Notebook". They were all crammed together on the floor with their pillows and sleeping bags along with the boxes of tissues they had used up.

"Oh! This is the sweetest movie every!" Xiefa said in-between sobs.

"I know!" Meilin grabbed another tissue from the tissue box. "They are totally destined to be together! Nothing can keep them apart! ... Like Sakura and Syaoran." She mumbled that last part but Tomoyo caught it.

The movie ended and Feimei turned off the VCR and the TV was showing a news report. For the millionth time that week, they were showing clips from the theater opening with Sakura and Syaoran.

The rumors of them being a couple spread like wildfire through China and somehow even Japan, because Sakura's brother was constantly calling and interrogating her. There were always photographers trying to sneak onto the Li estate just to get a picture of them.

Sakura stood up abruptly and turned off the TV and looked at everyone sternly. "Not. A. Word." She pointed a finger at them.

Feimei cleared her throat. "So... how's it going with Ryu, Mei ?"

Meilin looked down. "Good. How's it going with _Eriol,_ Tomoyo?" She tried to get the heat off of her. She hadn't really talked to Ryu for days. Syaoran had gotten really mad at her for telling Ryu about their magical heritage. Yelan had was outraged when she found out but that was nothing compared to the Elders' reaction. They said that someone had to immediately erase his memory. Sakura volunteered for the job, but only so she could pretend to erase his memory. Now, everyone except Sakura and Meilin thought that Ryu had no memory of their 'magical' life.

Tomoyo blushed. The Li sisters were gaping at her. "There's nothing going on between us."

"Ha!" Meilin pointed an accusing finger at her. "As if! I see the way you two are always looking at each other and secretly smiling!"

"Ooh!" The sisters squealed.

Sakura opened her mouth to comment on something but everyone shushed her. "If we can't comment on you and Syaoran then you can't comment on our love lives," said Meilin, smirking.

Sakura glared at her playfully. "Fine. Let's just go to bed."

"I agree!" Tomoyo rushed into her sleeping bag and pulled it over her head.

"Spoilsport," Fuuti muttered and they all went to sleep.

. O . O . O .

Syaoran was up late watching TV. Actually he was just flipping through the channels, not even looking at what was on. His mind was busy running its own movie. He couldn't stop thinking about a certain guest staying at his mansion. Ever since the rumors of them being a couple started, she had stayed away from him, not wanting to encourage the rumors.

He kind of missed annoying her and seeing the fiery response she gave him. He was shocked when she had volunteered to erase Ryu's memory. Syaoran had never meant for things to get that carried away, where the Elders would suggest erasing Ryu's memory! He knew Meilin really like Ryu and that he could be trusted with their secret but he let one moment of stupidity get him so carried away.

When he saw that she only pretended to erase his memory, something struck within him. She was such a good person that she was willing to disobey the 'great' Elders just to see Meilin happy. It wasn't everyday he met someone as courageous as her.

Or beautiful.

He had to admit she had a certain charm to her. With those mesmerizing eyes. Kero probably wasn't kidding when he said there were thousands of boys back in Japan who worshiped the ground she walked on. He could definitely see why they would.

He groaned in frustration and put his head in his hands. "What are you doing to me?"

He looked up at the channel that was on and it was a talk show. A talk show in the middle of the night? What was this world coming to?

"So have you heard the rumors about Syaoran Li and a certain Japanese guest that is staying at his mansion?" asked one of the women on TV.

"Oh, how could I not?" giggled the other woman. "She really is a beautiful girl."

_Tell me something I don't know, _Syaoran thought.

"We actually have a picture of them attending a play."

And there is was. The picture of them, arm in arm, with her whispering in his ear.

He shivered involuntarily. Syaoran turned the TV off and headed to bed. "People need to get a life."

. O . O . O .

The next morning Meilin woke up to someone poking her side. "Go, away!"

"SHH!"

Meilin opened her eyes and gave Tomoyo a questioning look.

"I need to talk to you."

She slowly tiptoed out of the room. Meilin groaned and got up, following her.

She slowly closed the bedroom door and looked at Tomoyo. "What's up?" She look at her watch and it said 5:00 am. "Are you nuts? It's only 5:00!"

Tomoyo quickly put her hand on Meilin's mouth. "Shh!"

Meilin put up her hands in defeat and Tomoyo put down her hand. "I've been meaning to ask you this for some time..."

"What?"

"The night when Sakura was stuck in the maze... uh... Yelan started to say something and you had an argument with her and Eriol about it... Was it... about... Do you know about the..?"

Meilin's eyes widened. "You know about the prophecy too?" She tried to keep her excitement down.

Tomoyo nodded. Meilin giggled and hugged her. "Thank God! Now I can talk to someone about it!"

"Ahem." They turned to see Eriol.

"Good morning Eriol." They said together.

"Good morning, ladies. Is Sakura awake yet? I have to talk to her."

"Actually, she's not. Tomoyo dear why don't you go wake her up." Meilin gave her an innocent smile.

As soon as Tomoyo was back in the guestroom, Meilin turned and looked at Eriol with an evil smile. "So... Eriol."

"Yes, Meilin?"

"Do you like Tomoyo?" She asked in a giddy school girl tone.

Eriol started stammering.

"I'll take that as a yes." Meilin giggled.

Eriol flushed. "Meilin... it's not like that. We're just friends."

"But you both want to be more than just friends!"

Eriol started to say something but stopped and stared at her. "Did she say that?"

Meilin smirked. "She doesn't have to. I can see it in her eyes and in _your_ eyes. Don't even try to deny it!"

The door opened behind them, revealing Tomoyo and Sakura. "Good morning Eriol."

"Good morning Sakura." Eriol shot a look at Meilin and looked back at Sakura. "I need to talk to you."

Sakura nodded and followed him down the hallway.

Just as they were out of sight, Meilin turned to Tomoyo. "Ok, get dressed. We have a _lot_ to talk about!"

. O . O . O .

Eriol and Sakura were sitting in the study. "I know things have been quiet around here lately, in terms of magical interferences but I think it's better that we know more about the person that was the cause for it anyways, just to be prepared."

Sakura nodded. "OK."

"Can you tell me anything about the woman?"

"Well she was young and beautiful. She also had this glowing sun on her forehead."

"A glowing sun?" Eriol scrunched his eyebrows trying to remember anything about that.

. O . O . O .

"I can't believe that soon they're going to fall in love!" Tomoyo said with a dreamy sigh.

Meilin laughed. "How do you know they haven't already?" She stuffed a piece of bagel and cream cheese in her mouth.

Tomoyo gasped. "You think so?"

Meilin shrugged. "Probably. Why else would they we avoiding each other so much?"

Tomoyo was quiet and deep in thought. "I think I have an idea."

"What?"

Tomoyo had a devilish smile on her face. "I think maybe it's time for Eriol to give them another test."

Meilin blinked. "I'm confused."

Tomoyo was about to explain when Sakura walked into the kitchen. "Hey guys! I can't believe everyone else is still sleeping."

"Well, it is a Saturday so don't expect the girls to be awake until noon," Meilin explained.

"I thought you were with Eriol." Tomoyo said.

"I was but now I'm not. He's free if you want to go visit him." Sakura grinned.

Tomoyo blushed and looked away. Meilin offered Sakura a bagel and she gladly took it.

"So what are you guys up to for today?" asked Meilin.

"I dunno" replied the other two.

Meilin looked back and forth between the two and got an idea. An evil idea. Oh, boy, did she have an evil idea!

"We can play truth or dare!" She exclaimed.

Tomoyo and Sakura exchanged worried glances.

"Oh come on! Please!" Meilin gave them the puppy dog eyes which they couldn't resist.

"I know we're going to regret this but ok." Sakura said.

Meilin squealed and hugged them. "Come on!" She dragged them out of the kitchen and into the garden. "Ok, I will randomly ask one of you, and then that person picks the other one and _that_ person will ask me ok?"

"Ok..."

"Ok! So, Sakura, Truth or _Dare_?"

"Truth." Sakura squeaked it out.

Meilin grinned. "I was hoping you would choose dare but oh well. I can work with this too." She put her index finder against her head and thought of a question. "Ok, I got it. And remember you _have_ to answer _truthfully_! Ok?"

"Ok! I promise to answer truthfully!" Sakura sat down on a bench and Meilin sat next to her and Tomoyo sat on Sakura's other side.

"Do you find my cousin attractive? TRUTHFULLY!" Meilin grinned like and idiot.

Sakura turned tomato red. "Um...yes?"

"Ahhh!" Meilin jumped up and started dancing around.

"Ok, my turn!" Sakura wanted to quickly get away from the teasing that was soon to follow. "Tomoyo, truth or dare?"

"Um... dare?"

"Whoo she has more guts than you, Sakura!" said a laughing Meilin.

Sakura looked at something behind Tomoyo. "Ok, I dare you to... kiss Eriol on the cheek. And what do you know, here he comes!" The other two girls turned and saw Eriol walking towards them with a book in his hand. Tomoyo gulped.

"Hello, girls. I won't bother you for long I just wanted to ask Sakura something." She handed the open book to Sakura and on the opened page was a picture of the woman she had seen.

"That's her!" Sakura exclaimed. "Do you know who she is?"

"Not yet. I haven't translated the text yet. But I will start right away." He took back the book and started to walk away.

Sakura and Meilin glared at Tomoyo. She whimpered and got up, walking towards Eriol. "Eriol?"

He stopped and turned to face them. "Yes?"

Tomoyo was next to him and her heart was beating so hard that she was sure he could hear it. She got on her tip toes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek and said, "Well I'll see you later," before rushing off. The girls behind him squealed and followed Tomoyo.

Meilin turned back and whispered to the gaping Eriol, "I told you so," with a devilish grin.

Eriol just stood there, stunned. Did that just really happen or was his mind playing tricks on him. He touched his cheeks and could still feel her lips on there. _Nope, it definitely happened, _he thought to himself with a grin.

When Tomoyo was far away, she started hyperventilating. "Oh my god! I can't believe I just did that!"

Sakura and Meilin caught up. "You go girl!" Sakura smiled at her friend.

"Yeah! Now you definitely have more guts then Sakura," giggled Meilin.

Sakura slapped her arm. "Lets see if you do."

Tomoyo didn't even seem to realize that they were there. Sakura went up to her and waived her hand in front of her face. "Hello?"

She looked up and noticed them for the first time. "Why did I do that?"

"It's ok! He liked it!" Meilin said. "Now come on, ask me my question!"

Tomoyo looked at her. "He liked it?"

Sakura laughed, Meilin nodded. "Now get with the question!"

Tomoyo asked her the question but it was obvious she was distracted by other thoughts. "Truth or Dare.?"

"Dare!"

"Ok."

Meilin looked at her. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

"The dare?"

"Oh, I dare you to go in front of Ryu's house and yell you love him and run away."

"That's not even a good dare!" Meilin looked disappointed.

"Interesting," Sakura said mysteriously.

"What?" Meilin asked.

"You didn't bother to deny that you love Ryu. You really do love him!" Sakura giggled.

Meilin turned pink. "I.. Uh... oh shut up." Meilin ran over to the edge of their garden that was connected to the Tao estate and yelled. "I love Ryu Tao," on the top of her lungs causing all the gardeners to look up. She smiled uneasily and ran. Sakura ran after her, dragging Tomoyo too since she was still in her dreamlike state.

Once they stopped at a secluded area, Meilin asked Sakura. "Truth or Dare?"

"T- actually I pick dare."

Meilin's eyes grew wide. "Ohohohohohoho" She played with her fingers like an evil maniac. " I have got the perfect dare for you." Sakura laughed nervously and started to back away but bumped into Tomoyo.

"Huh?" Tomoyo looked at them.

"I dare you to slap Syaoran's butt!"

Tomoyo started laughing. "And I thought my dare was bad."

"Oh no, no, no, no! I can't do that!" Sakura backed away nervously but the girls surrounded her.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice." Meilin grabbed her shoulders and pushed her towards Syaoran's outdoor training area.

He was practicing some martial arts moves. Meilin pushed her forward and hid in the bushes with Tomoyo.

He stopped when Sakura came tumbling out of the bushes. "Can I help you?" he raised a brow.

"No. Can I help you?" A lame response but it was the best she could think of at that moment.

"And what exactly would you be helping me with?" he crossed his arms.

"Well, what do you need help with?" Sakura tried to act cool on the outside even though she was trembling inside.

"Nothing."

"Ok, then." She clasped her hands together and nodded. He looked at her strangely and turned away to retrieve his bottle of water.

Sakura shot a quick glance back in the bushes and Meilin gave her such an evil glare that Sakura could've sworn she saw little horns growing on her head. No, wait that was only Tomoyo's fingers doing a little V sign behind Meilin's head.

She held back a giggle and turned back to Syaoran, bent on finishing this dare fast. She would be just like Tomoyo. Tomoyo kissed Eriol and walked away, she would slap Syaoran's butt and walk away. That simple.

She summoned up all her courage and walked towards him. Might as well start a normal conversation. "So, how's everything going?"

Syaoran stared at her. "Good?"

"That's good to hear." Sakura circled him, looking him up and down.

"What are you doing? Stop that you're making me dizzy." He grabbed her shoulders and stopped her in front of him.

However he didn't let go of her shoulders. He just stood there staring into her eyes.

All Sakura could do was stare back. Then she remembered the dare and decided it was best to get it over with. She looked away from his warm brown eyes and cleared her throat.

He snapped out of his reverie and let go of her. "Sorry."

For a split second he looked shy and embarrassed like a little boy getting caught looking into the candy store at his favorite candy which he wasn't allowed to have.

Suddenly Sakura felt empowered somehow. Knowing that maybe she was the cause of the little pink blush on his cheeks made her feel more confident. She smirked and crossed her arms. "So how about those rumors huh?"

"Rumors?"

"The ones about us."

Syaoran gulped and laughed trying to cover up the nervousness he was feeling. "Oh, _those ones. _Yeah they are pretty ridiculous."

"Are they?" Sakura took a step closer to him. She put her left hand on his right arm. He was wearing black sweats and a white tank thank top which showed off his muscular arms. She was wearing jeans and a white button up shirt.

Syaoran raised a brow and looked from her hand on his arm to her face. "Are you feeling fine?"

"Not as fine as you..." She walked behind him, slapped his butt and started to walk back towards the bush where Meilin and Tomoyo were hiding, trying their best not to crack up.

But before Sakura make her clean break, Syaoran grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

Horror struck her. She was so busted.

"What was that about?" Syaoran turned her so she was facing him.

She tried so hard to regain her cool , calm, confident self but it was nowhere to be seen. "What?"

Syaoran tilted his head and examined her up and down. "You don't look sick and it doesn't seem like someone is magically controlling you so why don't you explain just what you are doing?"

Sakura opened her mouth to say some lie to get her out of the situation but couldn't think of anything. Syaoran stared at her waiting for an explanation. "I can't explain what I'm doing."

"Why not?"

"I just can't."

He looked deep into her eyes searching for something. She was trembling under his gaze. "Stop that." She looked down.

Syaoran chuckled. She looked up and gave him a questioning look. "What's so funny?"

"You."

"I'm funny? Oh thanks," She added sarcastically.

"Well you do have odd way of showing how you feel." Syaoran smirked.

"How I feel? What is that suppose to mean?"

"You like me," he said simply.

Sakura gaped at him then started laughing. "Oh you wish!"

"I don't have to."

"You actually think I like you?"

"No. I _know_ you like me," he said smugly.

Sakura stood real close to him and glared at him. "You are so full of yourself!"

"Oh really?" he said with that annoying smile that just made Sakura's knees weak.

"Really." Sakura put her hands on her hips.

"Oh really?" He took a step closer so that they're bodies were right up against each other. He could tell she was somewhat uncomfortable or nervous but wouldn't show it.

"Really." Her voice was cracking now.

Syaoran smirked and Sakura knew she should run but before she could...

He started tickling her.

She was screaming and laughing, attempting to hit him so he would go away. She accidently kicked his leg causing them both to fall with Syaoran on top of Sakura.

Boy was that an uncomfortable situation, especially when the two girls hiding behind the bushes finally lost all control of themselves and started laughing like there was no tomorrow.

Syaoran got embarrassed and scrambled up, holding out a hand to help Sakura up, which she accepted.

"I wish I had my camera!" Tomoyo said when she stopped to breathe.

"I know!" Meilin nodded. "That was so... there's just no word for it!"

Syaoran gave them one of his deadly glares which made them stop laughing but the laughing sound didn't stop. They turned and noticed that Syaoran's sisters and mother were watching them, and laughing, from a window on the second floor of the mansion.

Sakura turned to face Meilin. "This is all your fault! You better have an explanation for this!"

"Oh honey, there's no way I could ever explain _that!_ I don't even know what the heck it was!" Meilin started laughing again.

Sakura glared and started chasing her. Tomoyo chased after Sakura to stop her from killing Meilin.

* * *

I hope you guys liked this chapter! I think I'm going to start the actual S&S FLUFF in the next chapter which might be the MUSICAL CHAPTER! Please don't hate me if it turns out to be totally crappy! 

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I love love LOVE u guys!

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	10. The Musical Test

According to the ppl here at F F . N E T we are not allowed to post song lyrics that we did not write so I had to go back and replace the song lyrics with some crapy ones that I just made up on the spot so please DON'T JUDGE! The original song names are at the bottom and you can check out those lyrics if you want to.

* * *

Of course the day after was followed with more gossip about Syaoran and Sakura on tv and in the newspapers. It turned out, the press had actually managed to get a picture of Sakura slapping Syaoran's butt and Syaoran fallen on top of Sakura. 

Yelan was furious that the press had taken those pictures on their private property without permission. She threatened to sue the photographers and since none of them wanted to go up against the great and feared Yelan Li, they stopped crowding the Li mansion and left.

Sakura's brother had, had a minor heart attack when he saw the pictures. She had explained to her father that it was all a dare and nothing more and that she was truly sorry. Her father, being the reasonable man that he was, excepted her apology and told her to be careful and not to get in any more messes. He also told her that he would explain it to her brother so he wouldn't freak out over anything.

Syaoran and Sakura were of course being teased about their little incident over and over again by Syaoran's sisters.

Tomoyo and Meilin had been trying to dodge Eriol and Ryu so they wouldn't have to explain their weird actions.

Meilin descended the stairs to go see who the visitor was that had come to talk to her. She opened the door and gasped. "Ryu!"

He smiled at her. "Hey, Meilin."

"What are you doing here?"

"I was hoping to talk to you."

"Oh, ok." She led them to the porch.

"Meilin, you've been ignoring me ever since.. You know... Sakura did that thing."

"No, I haven't." Meilin tried to smile to cover up her lie but Ryu saw right through it.

He frowned. "Please don't lie to me. Talk to me. Just tell me what's wrong."

Meilin sighed. "Everything is wrong! Nothing seems to be going right anymore!"

She threw up her hands in frustration and sat down on a chair. Ryu sat next to her in another chair and put his hand on hers.

Meilin looked at it for a moment then pulled her hand away. "Mei...?"

"It's clear that I can never tell anyone about this family's heritage. And even though I'm not really a part of the secret, I am included in the curse of having to keep quiet about it."

She looked up at him with sad eyes and Ryu knew where she was going with this. "No, Mei... don't do this."

She got up and turned away from him, not being able to witness the heartbreak in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ryu. I really don't think that it's going to work out between us." Her eyes were flowing like waterfalls but she kept quiet not wanting, Ryu to know that. She didn't want to make this any harder than it already was.

"Why not?" he asked.

Meilin didn't have to turn around to know that he was holding back tears. Did he really care about her that much? Was it possible he even loved her? "Because... Because if the elders find out that you still know about us then they might put a harsher punishment on you and I couldn't bear to see that."

"They won't find out! I'll make sure of it!" Ryu put a hand on her shoulder and turned her around. "Please don't do this. You know you don't want to." He wiped away the tears from her eyes.

"I... I do. I'm sorry but this is the only way." She turned around walked towards the house.

"Wait," said Ryu. "Just tell me one thing."

"What." She stopped but didn't turn around.

"Yesterday, in the garden, I heard you yell something..."

She froze. He had heard her when she was doing the dare- when she had yelled out loud that she loved him.

"... Did you mean it?"

Her heart stopped beating. She didn't know what to say. Her mind was racing through so many things and yet none of them made any sense. Finally she answered, "No."

His heart broke in two.

"It was just a dare. I'm sorry." With that she ran into the house and up the stairs to her room. When she got in she slammed the door shut and exploded in tears. Her whole world crumbled.

O . O . O

By the sound of tears coming from her room, everyone had suspected that Meilin and Ryu had broken up. Everyone had given her space for the day, letting her work through her feelings. The maids would leave food behind her door every now and then but she hadn't touched any of it.

Eriol had found some important information that he thought was important to share with everyone. Sakura had volunteered to go up there and talk to Meilin to see if she would come down.

She knocked on the door. "It's Sakura. May I come in please?"

"I really want to be alone right now," came her muffled response.

"Um.. Eriol has found some information on the woman responsible for all the magical mess, and he wanted everyone to be there to hear it."

Meilin thought about it. This woman was probably the great evil from the prophecy whom Syaoran and Sakura would have to defeat. Just thinking about the doomed situation of those two brought her a little clarity. She wasn't like them. She wasn't doomed to fall in love with someone and never be with them. At least not that she knew of. She was allowed to be with anyone she wanted-

"Meilin?" Sakura's voice interrupted her train of thought. She suddenly felt a whole lot better.

"Hold on, I'm coming." She answered.

O . O . O

Everyone was gathered in the study where Eriol was explaining to them about the woman who had tried to hurt Sakura.

"Her name is Penelope. She used to be Clow Reed's guardian angel but she became very power hungry. She learned how to channel Clow's magic and use it as she desired. She began to challenge Fate by changing events. So, Fate banned her from our world, forever," Eriol explained.

"Wait. But then what did she mean when she said I was in her way?"

Eriol sighed and rubbed his temples. "I think she thinks that if she possesses the Clow Cards then she will posses Clow Reed's magic and can become stronger and break out of her prison."

"She already has my cards though doesn't she? Do you think she's already escaped from there?" Panic overtook Sakura.

Eriol shook his head. "No, if she had I'm sure we would've found out."

"Well she's had the cards for over a week now," Yelan stated.

"Maybe she doesn't know how to use them," said Tomoyo.

"But she's already used the maze card, remember?" Sakura said.

Eriol looked at her but his mind seemed to be elsewhere. "I don't think she summon the card." When he saw the confusing looks the others where giving her he continued. "I mean, what if she somehow controlled you, Sakura, to the point where she had you summon the card _for_ her and then she took your key and cards from you."

"And since, now she can't get into your mind with Eriol's spell there, she can't summon on any of the cards." Tomoyo explained.

"True." Yelan agreed. "But something bothers me." Everyone looked at her. "She is banished from our realm. So then, how did she manage to take the cards and key from Sakura?"

They all started to think about the possibilities but Sakura already had a theory. "She has someone working for her. Someone who _is_ allowed to come into our realm."

Eriol shook his head again. "That cannot be. Nobody can go there in person, only in spirit. Nothing can physically cross the barrier between our realms which is why I think the cards are still here."

"What if it's not a person?" Syaoran added. "What if she found a way to create a puppet that can travel between the divide of out realms. That way it's not really a person with a soul."

"And she made the puppet in a way that it would look like someone I know." Sakura looked at Syaoran and everyone followed her gaze. "It was the puppet that attacked me the night in the maze."

Eriol thought about it for a moment. "If what you say is even remotely true than we are in greater danger than I thought."

"Danger?" Yelan asked with concern.

"Yes. If indeed she has found a way to get a puppet to cross over to our realm then she can get the puppet to hurt you and that can't be stopped with my spell..." Eriol explained.

"But she won't hurt me, she needs me to summon the cards." Sakura shook her head. "How would she be able to control the cards if she killed me?"

"If she kills you, dummy, then the cards will be without a master and she can easily get them then." Syaoran smirked. "I knew this was too much for you to handle."

Sakura glared. "Says who?"

"Me."

Sakura opened her mouth to says something back but was stopped by a glare from Yelan. "This is no time for silly quarrels you two!" Yelan exclaimed.

"Sorry" mumbled Sakura and Syaoran.

"I need to know more about this but I'm afraid that this is all the information available," Eriol sighed. "If it's possible I think I'm even more confused now then when I first started searching for answers."

"You guys gotta loosen up!" Fuuti said.

"Yeah! Sometimes what you seek is right in front of your face, but you're too busy looking elsewhere for it that you miss it completely," added Feimei.

"I suppose you're right," said Eriol. "I'm going to go look over everything again."

"I'll help you." Sakura went with him.

"Me too." Meilin caught up with her also.

"I'm going to go train," said Syaoran.

The Li sisters and Yelan just stood there in the room, with Tomoyo. "That's not what we meant by 'loosen up'."

O . O . O

Sakura dragged herself to bed after another day of exhausting, pointless research. The last two days all they had been doing was looking through books and more books to try and find something useful but it was hopeless. They came out empty handed each time. She was beginning to feel more and more depressed by each passing hour.

Even though Eriol had told them that Yue and Kero had said that they had sensed the clow cards a few times even for a couple of seconds, she still felt like she would never get back her cards.

She felt really bad that her guardians had been so busy searching everywhere for her cards while all she could do was sit there and read boring book that take forever to translate. Kero had told her not to feel guilty because in fact it was he and Yue that had failed to protect her and the cards.

Sakura went to sleep with all these thoughts running around in her head.

O . O . O

Sakura and Meilin walked into the study that they had been meeting at everyday to research but Eriol wasn't there.

"Where is he?" Meilin asked.

"Right here."

The girls turned around and saw Eriol with Tomoyo.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked.

Tomoyo smiled at her friend. "We're taking a vacation from all this."

The two girls gave her a questioning look.

"You'll see what she means," Eriol explained.

O . O . O

The girls walked into the room with Eriol. Meilin stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Ryu there with Syaoran.

"What's the meaning of this?" Syaoran demanded.

"Consider this another test, my cute little descendant."

Syaoran rolled his eyes in irritation. "Bring it on. What is it this time? Another murder mystery?"

"Nope." Eriol smirked. "Remember when you said, you would only believe in fairies when you saw them?"

"Yeah..." Syaoran looked at him skeptically.

Eriol opened a window to the room and in flew a sparkly, little, winged figure. "Everybody, meet Titania."

Everyone started at the little fairy in disbelief.

"Oh she is so beautiful!" Sakura exclaimed.

"And she is also going to be the one to test us all," explained Eriol.

"Wait, did you say 'test _us all'?_" Meilin raised her brow.

Eriol smiled. "Yes I did."

Before another word could be spoken, Titania started circling them all and covering them in fairy dust. As the golden, glittery material made contact with them, they started to disappear inch by inch until they were all gone.

O . O . O

They looked around and suddenly found themselves on a beach.

"Whoa! What just happened?" asked Ryu.

"This is the test." Eriol raised his arms.

"And what exactly is the point of this test? To learn how to tan perfectly?" Meilin asked.

Eriol chuckled. "No. We must all learn to let loose and have fun."

"What! You can't be serious!" Syaoran exclaimed. "That's not even a real skill."

"Oh trust me little descendant, it's a skill."

Syaoran growled in frustration. Eriol continued, "Yelan and the girls kept telling me, that we were all working to hard and we needed to take some time off and then Tomoyo came up with the idea of sending you guys to a vacation spot for a test and I decided we might well come too!"

"Uh, Eriol? What kind of a beach is this?" Syaoran asked.

"I don't know. The kind with the sun? Why?"

"Because everywhere I turn I see people singing and dancing."

They all looked around and indeed Syaoran was right. Everyone seemed to be singing and dancing. Eriol chuckled. "She's put us on a musical beach."

"A musical beach?" Tomoyo asked.

"She's created an alter reality where people are in musicals, they dance and sing out their heart's desires." Eriol pointed to a group of dancing, giggling, girls.

"Oh no. Oh no, no, no!" complained Syaoran.

The girl started singing for them.

"When you're feeling sad and low

We know the place you gotta go

Smiling, dancing, everything is free

No secrets no hidden keys"

Sakura, Meilin, and Tomoyo looked at each other and smiled. They ran excitedly towards the group of dancing girls and joined them. Magically they knew all the words to the song and all the moves that went with them.

They continued down the beach away form the guys with the group, dancing and singing.

Syaoran gaped after them. "You're letting them go!"

"We're here to learn to have fun, Syaoran. Calm down!" Eriol sat down in the sand.

"What do you mean calm down! I know how to have fun, so you just let me go right now!"

"I'm afraid it's not up to me to let you go. Titania will keep us all here until we all have a good time."

Syaoran growled and faced Ryu. "Why are you not freaked out about this? You're not supposed to even remember this magical stuff anymore!" Syaoran did know that Sakura only faked erasing Ryu's memory but he didn't know if Eriol knew that also.

"Relax Syaoran. I know Sakura only faked erasing his memory. We all know except Yelan and the elders." Eriol looked at the faraway figured of the girls.

"How come I wasn't aware of this!" Syaoran demanded.

Eriol lost his patience and yelled at him. "I swear if you don't shut up right now, I will drown you right here in the ocean!"

Syaoran stared at the usually calm Eriol and sat down beside him. "Fine. But I'm _not_ going to start singing."

"Suit yourself."

As the two sat there Ryu leaned against a tree and started humming a tune. It was odd that there was a forest connected to the beach but then again they had seen weirder thing.

"I'm lost without you

my shining star in the sky"

Eriol and Syaoran looked over at him and they followed his gaze to Meilin's figure in the distance.

"I know you're hurting too

But everything's going to be alright.

Don't give up hope

my shining star in the sky"

"You should be a little more like him," Eriol whispered.

"No thank you," was his reply.

Ryu, clueless of them continued to gaze at Meilin and sing.

"Take your time,

think things through

But I know in the end

I'll be the one by your side

You'll never belong to someone else

I know you heart lies with mine,

I know your destiny ties with mine,

No matter what, you'll always belong to me."

Ryu, still leaning against the tree, lowered himself to the ground and sighed. "Why, Mei?" he asked no one in particular.

O . O . O

Tomoyo, Meilin, and Sakura were walking on the beach with their shoes in their hands letting the cold water splash on their feet.

Meilin looked at her feet sadly. "This is awesome."

Sakura and Tomoyo nodded in agreement.

"So Eriol's a nice person. What's between you two?" Meilin asked Tomoyo.

She just shrugged in response. "What about you and Ryu?"

Meilin cringed for a moment but shook it off. "What about Syaoran? He's changed a lot since you came here Sakura."

"I don't think so, he always just tries to make me mad."

Two of the girls that they were dancing with earlier came up to them and asked them to go get a smoothie.

"Sure, could be fun," Tomoyo said.

They got in the back of a big truck and the girl driving the car turned on the radio. A sad melody came sweeping around them.

Meilin looked out at the passing people and the happy couples that were together.

"Why is life so cruel?

It gives you all you want and more"

Tomoyo and Sakura listened to Meilin sing.

"Flying high in the sky

then falling down 

at the speed of sound"

They passed a couple walking hand in hand, laughing happily. A small tear made it's way down Meilin's cheek.

"I want someone who'll be mine

Mine alone.

For all eternity our love story told

He'll be my hero

my hero alone.

And he'll never let me go."

When she was done singing, Tomoyo and Sakura hugged her from the sides as Meilin broke down and cried. "I can't live without him."

"We understand," Tomoyo whispered.

O . O . O

The guys were still sitting at the beach staring at the waves.

"I can't believe I sang," Ryu said in disbelief.

"Believe it," Syaoran replied.

"You were actually pretty good," complimented Eriol.

"Thanks." Ryu laughed.

Syaoran glared at Eriol. "What is wrong with you?" Eriol just stared at him, smiling. "I want to leave."

"Sorry, Titania will only takes us back when we all have a good time, here. It's her job to make everyone have a fun time and you're just making this take longer by being a grumpy old man." Eriol laughed.

"Who made up that rule! And I am not a grumpy old man!" Syaoran protested.

Nobody answered him. Syaoran saw that Sakura, Meilin, and Tomoyo were back. They were walking down the beach with smoothie cups in their hands.

"An angel fallen from heaven

Dark and enchanting like a raven"

Syaoran turned his head and saw that it was now Eriol, who was singing. "Oh no." He got up and looked at Eriol and Ryu who were looking hopelessly lovesick.

" Hypnotized me with one look

Got me hooked like an epic book.

And those lips, her luscious lips

To see her, to want her

It drives me crazy

Voices in my head asking

Why don't you kiss her?

Why don't you tell her?"

Syaoran shook his head and started to walk away. "Love sick puppies," he mumbled under his breath. He stopped and looked at the direction of the girls and took one last look at Sakura before walking away, leaving Eriol to his singing and Ryu to his far away admiring.

"But I'm scared you'll say no

As sweet as you are, you'll say no."

O . O . O

Sitting down and looking at the waves, Sakura, Tomoyo, and Meilin looked deep in thought.

Sakura was throwing rocks in the ocean. Meilin was drawing in the sand and Tomoyo was looking around and she spotted Eriol. She put a hand up to block the sun as she gazed at him. She really liked him but she didn't know if he felt the same way about her. He was the reincarnation of a great sorcerer, so, he was quite an important figure in a lot of people's lives. She didn't even have any magical powers. She didn't think she was anywhere near worthy of him, but that didn't stop her heart from hoping that maybe one day he would find her worthy of his affection.

" I wish you could find a way

a way to my heart

find a way to see what's inside

what's inside of my heart"

She got up and started walking away from the beach. Looking down at her bare feet, making marks in the sand.

"Until you do

I'll wait for you

Forever my life, faithful to you...

Find a way to my heart..."

Suddenly she noticed another pair of feet in front of her. She looked up and saw Eriol standing there, hands in his pocket, wind blowing in his hair, looking at the sunset. He looked towards her and smiled.

Tomoyo walked up and stood next to him, enjoying the view. There were purple, red, and orange shades in the sky. "It's so beautiful," said Tomoyo.

Eriol looked at her replied. "Yes."

They returned to silently watching the sunset. Eriol hummed a part of his song and then sang one line: "Why don't you kiss her?"

Tomoyo turned to him. "Huh?"

"Nothing." Eriol smiled at her and she smiled back. Eriol slowly wrapped an arm around her back and pulled her closer, slowly closing the space between them until their lips met in a sweet, soft kiss.

O . O . O

Meilin was still sitting by the water playing with the sand. Sakura had wondered down the beach a little while ago leaving her to her thoughts.

When she saw the beautiful colors in the sky, she thought about Ryu and how they used to watch sunsets together all the time. She really liked him and she wanted to be with him but she wasn't sure that he still wanted her. After the way her family acted when they found out that he knew, she wasn't sure it would work out with him anymore. If her family couldn't trust him now then they could never trust him.

But another voice in her mind asked,_ Why do they even need to trust him? _

That was true. Her life had nothing to do with them. If she trusted him wasn't that enough? She didn't need their approval or trust. She could make her own decisions. A smile came on her lips as she thought about this.

A low growling noise from behind her brought her out of her reverie. She stood up abruptly and turned around to be faced with a big vicious looking dog. She held back a terrified scream and stood still. The dog bent down on its knees, ready to attack her. She turned around and ran, the dog hot on her trail.

"Help! Somebody help me!" She ran faster than she ever had before in her life.

She could hear her own heartbeat and the growls of the dog. She knew he was getting closer.

"Meilin!" came Ryu's familiar voice.

She turned around quickly and saw a Ryu on a horse, galloping up to her.

"Grab my hand!"

Meilin noticed that the dog was catching up to her. "I can't!"

"Come on!" He was next to her, reaching out his hand.

Meilin took it and with surprising strength he pulled her up on the horse in front of him. The horse galloped away, leaving the dog in its dust.

Meilin clung to Ryu. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime."

"Where did you find a horse?"

"I was just walking and I came across it. It was just standing there and I heard you scream for help so I just got on it and came. It's almost as if it was waiting for me."

They exchanged weird looks and started laughing. Meilin hugged him and whispered in his ear, "My hero."

He smiled and bent down to kiss her but hesitated. She smiled and closed in the space between their lips.

O . O . O

Sakura sauntered down the beach, watching many young couples holding hands, kissing, and hugging.

"I'm under you spell

I don't what you did 

but you stole my heart from me...

But that's fine

For all I ask in return 

is to give your heart to me

She looked away from them to the multicolored sky. She had never seen a sunset so beautiful and wished that she had someone to share it with.

"Trying to catch your heart

Is like trying to catch a star

So close yet so far away

Teasing me and making me sway

I'm waiting...

Waiting for a star to fall

And carry your heart into my arms"

O . O . O .

From far away, Syaoran watched Sakura sing and he followed her. She looked so beautiful. It was like a painting... her silhouette moving gracefully against the waves of the ocean that looked like a rainbow thanks to the colorful sunset. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and he was afraid to do anything to ruin it.

"I know just how to fake it

And I know just how to lie

But since you came, 

I lost the in-between line

Even though he had promised to himself that he would not start singing like the others had, he couldn't help himself. He felt like this was the only way to express what he truly felt in his heart.

" Everyday, an endless night

But with you around

I never want to see the sun

Only the moon to which I am bound

You are my moon, 

glorious one, you'll mine someday soon.

I had a handle on life

but it fell apart

because everything about you

tugs a little string in my heart

Sakura had stopped to watch the sunset but he was still walking towards her. She turned around and saw him. Her expression was none he could read. Soon he was only a few feet away from her.

" Every time I see you, well the rays of the sun are all

Streaming through the waves in your hair"

He gently ran his fingers through her soft hair that was reflecting the colors in the sky.

" And every star in the sky is taking aim at your eyes

Like a spotlight "

He gazed into her eyes and put a hand on his heart.

" The beating of my heart is a drum and it's lost

And it's looking for a rhythm like you

You can take the darkness from the deep of the night

And turn it to a beacon burning endlessly bright"

He took her hand and twirled her around.

" I can make tonight forever

Or I can make it disappear by the dawn

And I can make you every promise that's ever been made

And I can make all your worries be gone"

He stopped and looked back into her warm eyes and smiling face.

" But I'm never gonna make it without you

Do you really wanna see me crawl ?

My glorious moon

You'll be mine..."

They slowly came closer and closer. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

"Someday soon..."

He pressed his lips against hers in a gentle kiss and she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing back.

O . O . O

There was a big flash and everyone was back in the room they had originally been in before Titania had sent them to the musical land.

Titania giggled and circled all of them.

"Thank for going through all this trouble for us!" Tomoyo thanked her.

A faint jingling sound came from her.

"What did she say?" Meilin asked.

"She said it was her pleasure," Eriol told them.

Titania flew out the window.

Eriol turned to Tomoyo and took her hand, kissing it.

"Aww don't take make a cute couple?" Ryu asked sarcastically.

He was hugging Meilin from the back. She giggled and nodded. "They do."

Eriol and Tomoyo blush and look down.

Everyone looks over at Sakura and Syaoran expectantly but they noticed how quiet they are and how awkward they were acting towards each other.

"Are you two all right?" asked Tomoyo.

"yeah.." they both mumbled.

Meilin raised a brow and gave them a questioning look.

"Why don't we get out of your hair?" Syaoran suggested opening the door letting Sakura get out and following her.

Eriol sighed. "I thought for sure that would've gotten them together."

"Me too," tomoyo agreed.

"Me three." Meilin said.

Everyone looked to Ryu. "Oh! Me four?"

"But the spell wouldn't have broken if they hadn't had a good time," Eriol wondered out loud.

"So what do you think they did that broke the spell?" asked Meilin.

"I don't know." Eriol returned his gaze to Tomoyo and smiled. "But whatever it was..."

A/N This was not a cliff hanger that's jsut how the chapter ends... 

I am super sorry it took me this long to update but writting this chapter was harder than I thought it would be! And it still sucks and I hate it...I'm sorry I let you guys down!

* * *

Pinaygrrl- NOW u tell me that! lol I could've used that in the story! It would've been hilarious if he slapped her butt too! 

Mystic Moon Empress- I'm glad you thought it was funny!

Final Fantasy Princess- aww I'm glad u liked it!

BriAnna- lol well goody for you the fluff has just begun! I'm glad u loved it!

FlowerLover- lol well I was thinking of haing Syaoran do something weird but then... I decided to save that for some othertime.

lexyV105- lol I'm glad u liked it and I'll try to make more funny chapters like this one

sakandliluver- aww it makes me happy to know that you liked it!

Short 'n Simple- aww thank u so much!

DivineShana- thank you!

Cherrysinger- lol I'll write more fluff in the next chapter just for u! (happy LATE easter to u too!)

MidniteDreamer- I'm glad you thought it was funny!

Mei fa-chan- lol well thank u!

Captain Stu- thank u! I'm glad u liked it!

dangerous emerald- lol well u got ur wish! They kissed!

cherryblossom88- lol well I would hate to be in Sakura's situation too! I would've died of embarrassment if it was me!

animefreakkagome- lol ur welcome! sry it took me so long to update!

kenshinlover2002- I agree Meilin should've gotten a better dare but I don't think there's a dare, daring enough for Meilin.. If u  
think of any, let me know!

CherryChik- thank u, thank u, and oh yeah thank u!

Kawaii Selene- lol yeah I was saving the kiss for this chapter.

Lindariel12- was it really the funniest chapter? lol well thank u!

sweet-red-rose- aww thank you!

czee- I'd say serious things are about to happen pretty soon... but first must come the fluff so I don't get killed by reviewers.

AnimeAngel90- aww that is so adorable! I love you! lol thank you!

Ngoc1231- i'm glad you liked it!

Sakura Li- thank you!

Bookworm1214- I'm glad you liked it!

Lynn- Really! wow u made me so happy! lol thank u!

* * *

Songs: 

Girls: "Spice up your life" by Spice Girls

Ryu: "Take Your Sweet Time" by Jesse McCartney

Meilin: "Holding out for a hero" by Bonnie Tyler

Eriol: "Why don't you kiss her?" by Jesse McCartney

Tomoyo: "Find a way to my Heart" by Phil Collins

Sakura: "Waiting for a star to fall" by Boy Meets Girl

Syaoran: "Making Love out of Nothing at all" by Air Supply


	11. I think I love you

**A/N I realize this chapter is so short but it didn't fit in with the next chapter so i had to post it seperately! I hope you understand! **

**

* * *

**  
Tomoyo, Eriol, Meilin and Ryu were sitting on a blanket in the garden. Meilin opened the picnic basket they had filled with food and took out sandwiched for everyone.

"This is fun! We should do it more often," said Meilin.

"What's fun? Not worrying about the fact that the cards are gone or just hanging out?" asked Eriol.

"Both," replied Meilin. They all laughed.

"I agree. But it would've been more fun if we could've gotten Sakura and Syaoran to come with us." Tomoyo frowned.

"I know. I looked for them to ask them to come join us but I couldn't find them." Meilin took a bite of her sandwich.

"I didn't even see Sakura at breakfast this morning." Tomoyo took a sip of her drink.

"I haven't seen Syaoran either," Eriol said.

"Do you think they're together?" Ryu asked.

"I doubt it. I mean if the musical test didn't get them together I don't know what will," said Eriol.

"Are you sure they didn't get together at the musical beach? I mean you did say the spell would only end when we _all_ have a good time. So that means they must've done something fun to have ended the spell," Meilin told them all.

"That doesn't necessarily mean they did something _together. _They could've both met someone else there," Tomoyo suggested.

"Do you really believe that?" Meilin asked her.

Tomoyo laughed. "Nope."

O . O . O

Sakura was in the piano room, sitting on the single couch. She had her fingers intertwined and was tapping her feet. "So.."

Syaoran turned away from the window that over looked the others at their picnic and looked at her. He sighed and started to talk. "Look, about what happened between us-"

"Don't." Sakura stood up from her seat. "That k- ... that kiss actually meant something to me and if you're going to say something to ruin it then-"

"It did?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura frowned and looked down. "Yes."

"I think it meant something to me too."

Sakura's head shot up at him. "It did?"

Syaoran sighed and nodded.

"So what does this mean?" Sakura asked him.

He shrugged. "I don't know."

Then there was an awkward silence that engulfed the room.

O . O . O

Sakura had returned to her room to think. Kero was still on his mission with Yue to try and find the cards so her room was quiet, a perfect place to think.

First she was being haunted by an ex-guardian from another realm, then she had lost the Sakura cards, then she had gotten herself all mixed up in this mess with Syaoran.

"Ugh!" Sakura yelled in frustration. "Why is everything so complicated!"

First she was so obsessed with finding her cards that she couldn't think of anything else but now... Now she was being haunted by that kiss... her first kiss...

To her opinion it could've been more romantic. I mean she was at a musical beach, during the sunset, and was being serenaded by a handsome guy... What bothered her was that she liked the fact that it was Syaoran who kissed her... her _first _kiss.

It was true that she was beginning to develop some feelings about him but she didn't know what those feelings were.

Was she attracted to him?

_Duh!_

Did she like him?

_Maybe a little... OK! A lot!_

Did she love him?

_NO! ... right?_

That kiss was all she could think about, since they got back from the other realm.

Sakura slammed her head into her bed and put the pillow on top of her head and screamed.

O . O . O

Syaoran had gone for a walk to clear his head and make sense of all the thoughts running through his head.

Sakura was beautiful, funny, and of course she was attracted to her.. But was that it?

Was it attraction alone that made him kiss her?

_No..._

Did he like her then?

_Maybe... ok yeah so what!_

Did he love-

"Hey!"

Syaoran turned around and came face to face with Eriol. "Hey."

"What's up?" Eriol caught up with him and they started walking side by side.

"Nothing. I'm just thinking." Syaoran put his hands in his pockets.

"Whoa! Must be serious!" Eriol laughed.

Syaoran just ignored him and continued walking.

Eriol stopped and watched as Syaoran walked away.

"It must be _really_ serious," Eriol said to himself.

"Eriol!"

He turned and saw Tomoyo was running up to him. He smiled and kissed her on the cheek when she got there.

"Hi."

She giggled. "Hi."

He took her hand and they walked hand in hand to the fountain and sat next to it on a bench. Tomoyo leaned her head against Eriol's shoulder. He put his arm around her waist. "I"m really glad this finally happened for us."

She looked up at him. "Me too."

"I like you a lot Tomoyo."

"I like you a lot too, Eriol."

Eriol smiled. "Good."

O . O . O

Syaoran stood behind the door and lifted his hand up for the 20th time to knock on the door but pulled back again. He shook his hands and neck and brought his hand up again. This time he gathered up all the courage he had and knocked on the door.

The door opened and there she was, standing in her white shirt and white skirt like an angel. She took his breath away.

"Syaoran?" Sakura raised a brow at the look he was giving her. "What are you-"

But her question was cut off when his lips came crashing down hers.

The kiss was short but definitely intense.

He pulled back and looked at her as if expecting her to be mad and slap him. But she wasn't. She was touching her lips and breathing heavily.

"I think I'm-"

"I'm falling in love with you." Sakura said.

"Me too."

FlowerLover- yup they are FINALLY together!  
Rebecca- those sneaky little brats! Hehe  
AxFaTaLxiLLuSioN- a little mistake on my part. I did say later on that she had the power to chose whether she wanted the wings to be on her back or her staff.  
phoenix.tearx- thanks!  
Sailor Kawaii Chibi Watagashi- hehe thank you!  
MysticMoonEmpress - thanks for reading!  
Final Fantasy Princess- thank you! And sorry about the typos, I'm usually in such a rush I always miss them.  
Pinaygrrl- lol thank you!  
AnimeAngel90- lol I don't think I'm worthy of all that worshiping! THANK YOU!  
Princess of Animation- lol yup yup!  
dreamteam- well now they accepted it!  
animebabi101- thank you!  
MidniteDreamer- lol that's good, thanks!  
sweet-red-rose- hehe thank you!  
Mei fa-chan- thank you!  
cherryblossom88- lol I know! I died while writing this chapter!  
sakandliluver - lol that's cute! Thank you!  
sakuralilystars- oh thank you!  
Ngoc1231- lol I'm glad you liked it! I didn't realize I had so many Jesse McCartney songs on there until the end when I was writing them!  
review lord- lol thank you!  
Kagome854003- thank you!  
animeflower- thank you!  
BriAnna - aww thank you! I'm glad u liked it!  
Unidia- thank you!  
orlandosangel- ok! 


	12. Magic of the Night

Thanks to all of you who reviewed! So sorry that it took me this long to update but I had to rewwrite this chapter like 5 times until I was semi-satisfied with it! I love you all please continue to review! lol

** animeflower** - yukyungtang - **LadyAkina** - orlandosangel - **kagomefan** - FlowerLover - **czee** - Final Fantasy Princess - **sweet-red-rose** - BriAnna - **Kawaii Selene** - kawaii star tenshi - **Frosted BlossomZ** - sakandliluver - **Katherine** - Ngoc1231 - **Mei fa-chan** - MysticMoonEmpress - **cherryblossom88** - kenshinlover2002 - **Cherrysinger**- AnimeAngel90 - **Fushigi Shonen** - ccsbrat - **Callista Miralni **- shortygirl333 -** Jin-ashi** - somedayiwillwrite - **anime-san** - CuteCherryBlossom

* * *

Sakura shut out the noises as she buried herself under her pillow. She had gone to sleep late last night so she wanted to stay sleeping a while longer. 

It had taken her hours to try and sort out what had happened between her and Syaoran. Before he had come, she had thought about her feelings and had concluded that she did indeed feel very strongly about him.

She didn't know what it was she was feeling, just that it was strong and it was almost scary the power it held over her- the power _he_ held over her.

Then everything changed when she opened the door and found Syaoran on the other side. He kissed her and her mind was no longer a jumble of scary thoughts. Everything became calm and in that second of clarity she realized the reason she was so afraid of feeling this way was because she thought Syaoran would reject her.

She couldn't hold it in anymore, she had to tell him.

She loved him! She loved the way only he knew how to annoy her to no ends. She loved the way he tried to come off as a grumpy person. She loved everything about him! Especially the way he kissed... but that wasn't the point because she was in love! Sakura Kinomoto was in love for the first time in her life... with Captain Grumpy!

And the greatest part was that he was in love with her too! This was definitely the best vacation she'd ever been on! Even though the Sakura Cards were stolen and...

Oh.

She had almost forgotten about that little fact.

And again, everything in her mind turned chaotic.

So that's why she was so desperately seeking more sleep now, because her mind had been unable to shut down last night.

The yelling from outside became louder and she could almost sense the excitement but she was just too tired to care!

Then the banging on the door began.

"Sakura! Great news!" Tomoyo stopped banging the door long enough to talk. "Eriol said Yue and Kero have found your clow cards!"

Sakura's eyes shot open.

"They're on their way here now! Hurry! Get dressed and get down there with everyone else!"

Sakura jumped out of the bed, got dressed and ran down the hallway and caught up with Tomoyo before she had the chance to walk even 5 steps.

O . O . O

Sakura and Tomoyo entered the living room. Eriol, Yelan, Syaoran, Meilin, Fuuti, Fanren, Xiefa, and Feimei were already there. She didn't get a chance to greet them because Yue and Kero flew in.

"Sakura!" Kero exclaimed. The little stuffed animal flew to Sakura and hugged her arm in happiness. "I missed you so much!"

Sakura giggled as she hugged back the small creature. "I missed you too, kero."

"Mistress, we found the cards."

Sakura turned her attention to Yue immediately. He drew out the Sakura Book and gave it to her.

She squealed in happiness and hugged her guardian. Yue looked around awkwardly and patted Sakura's head.

"This calls for a celebration!" Meilin jumped up in excitement. "I say we go out for ice cream!"

Syaoran's sisters immediately agreed with her.

O . O . O

Futti, Feimei, Fanren, Xiefa, Meilin, Syaoran, Sakura, Tomoyo, and Eriol took up a very table at the ice cream parlor.

"I can't believe so much has happened in so little time!" said Fanren.

"I know! It's been unbelievable!" Meilin agreed with her.

"I can't believe it's almost time to go home," Tomoyo said sadly.

Everyone stopped talking. True they had been there a while and it was almost time for Sakura and Tomoyo to go back again.

Sakura looked over at Syaoran and caught him looking at her with sad eyes. She didn't want to leave, not when life was so good! She finally got her cards back and was in love with a wonderful, sweet guy who loved her back.

She looked back down at her ice cream.

O . O . O

When they got back home, everyone was pretty depressed.

"You shouldn't let things like that get you down," said Yelan. "You have all become such great friends and nothing can ruin that! Besides before you know it, it'll be summer again and you guys are welcome to come visit us! And by then you Tomoyo and Sakura will have graduated high school." Then she directed her attention to Tomoyo and Sakura. "Maybe you two would be interested in going to a college here in Hong Kong."

Tomoyo and Sakura looked at each other and brightened up.

O . O . O

Sakura was walking to her room and she felt an aura near by. She turned around and saw Syaoran standing right behind her with that usual smirk. "Did I scare you?"

"Not a chance." She smirked back.

He took her hand and pulled her closer, hugging her. "I don't know what I'll do when you leave."

Sakura wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her head on his chest. "Me either."

They stood there like that for minutes. "You should go to sleep," Syaoran finally said.

Sakura didn't want to go. She just wanted to stay there in his arms, safe and warm. "Ok." She looked up at him and he smiled, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek.

She raised her brows in question and he chuckled. Bending down, he kissed her lips. It was a simple goodnight kiss but it made Sakura feel like she was on a cloud high in the sky.

She got into bed and went to sleep. Kero had decided to stay at the kitchen late and pig out.

During the dark, stillness of the night, the Sakura Book started to glow but not its natural color. It was glowing black. Masses of evil energy came off of it and formed into a body. A body that looked identical to Syaoran's.

Sakura was disrupted from her sleep by the unwanted movements in her bedroom. "Kero stop it."

Syaoran's clone smirked and walked over to the bed and sat beside it. Sakura, somehow sensing it, opened her eyes and came face to face with his cold evil ones. The light from her nightlight, distinctly bringing out all the features of his face and making them look evil. She screamed and sat up in bed. Immediately she knew this was _not_ Syaoran.

"What are you doing here?"

"Having a little fun." Syaoran's look-alike put his hand into his pocket and was about to take out something when the door to Sakura's room burst open.

Syaoran stood there with his sword in his hand.

Sakura's eyes fluttered back and forth between the two Syaorans and she made an attempt to run to the one standing by the door, which she knew was the real Syaoran. But before she could successfully make it, the evil Syaoran grabbed her arm and pulled her back onto the bed. She fell back and saw him take out something out of his pocket. It looked like a poison dart.

Thankfully before he could use it on her, Syaoran pulled him off the bed and threw him against the wall. The evil clone stood up uneffected and started walking back towards Sakura. Syaoran's sword came clashing down on his back but it didn't even effect him in the slightest way. Syaoran and Sakura stared at him wide-eyed.

"Sakura get out of here!" The real Syaoran yelled.

Sakura got off the bed and started running towards the door but the evil clone threw the dart and it hit Sakura right in the neck.

Sakura screamed and fell against the wall.

Syaoran growled and attacked the evil clone with his sword again but no matter what he tried it didn't have any effect on the evil Syaoran. It was like he wasn't human and none of the blows even touched him.

The evil Syaoran finally got tired of the pathetic attempts at stopping him and threw Syaoran up against the wall. He got to Sakura and removed the dart and then got the Sakura book and jumped out the window.

Eriol, Yelan, Yue and Kero got there just in time to see Syaoran's clone jump out. Yue flew out after him. Yelan ran to his son and kero and Eriol tended to Sakura.

O . O . O

"Something's wrong! I can tell, don't lie to me mother! Why can't I see her?" Syaoran yelled as he tried to get out of bed but his mother only pushed him back in.

"You are injured and you need you rest." She put a comforting hand to his bandaged head. He had just woken up and wanted to see how Sakura was feeling. The last thing he remembered was the fight in Sakura's room and that she got shot with the dart.

"But Sakura was hurt too! Is she ok?"

Yelan eyed her son suspiciously. "If I didn't know any better I'd say-"

"You're awake!" Eriol interrupted Yelan.

He walked in and joined Yelan.

"How is Sakura?" Yelan asked.

"She's awake but she's not taking the news well."

"News? What news?" Syaoran got worried. "How can she be awake? I can't sense her aura. What's going on?"

Eriol looked from Syaoran to Yelan. She nodded and walked out of the room. Eriol sighed and explained. "The dart Sakura was hit by was magical, it is able to take away all the magical essence in someone."

Syaoran's eyes widened. "WHAT?"

"It's temporary. Eventually the aura finds it's right full owner but by then it might be two late. I think Penelope stole Sakura's aura to cloak herself in it and be able to use the Sakura cards to break out."

"So he took the Sakura Cards again?" Syaoran's head was now hurting so much that it felt like it was going to split.

"Unfortunately yes. Yue went after him and saw him jump into a portal."

"So she's going to be able to break out of her prison now?"

"Yes," Eriol answered gravely. "And there's nothing we can do to stop it."

Syaoran fell back unto his pillow and tried to think. Sakura must've been going through hell right now.

O . O . O

It was around midnight. Sakura was lying in her bed, looking at the stars through her window. Kero was fast asleep next to her on the bed. She couldn't believe it, for the first time in years she didn't have her magical powers. She never realized how much they were a part of her until now that she lost them.

Fresh tears made their way down on her cheeks.

A low knocking on her door interrupted her thoughts. She got out of bed and opened the door, revealing Syaoran. He wiped off the tears off her face. "Can I talk to you?"

Sakura looked inside at Kero's sleeping form and said, "Sure." She grabbed a white hooded sweatshirt that she wore over her pajama top.

She followed him outside to the fountain and he stopped. He put his hands in his pockets and looked at the water in the fountain that was reflecting the stars and the moon in the sky. "I'm so sorry, Sakura."

She walked over to him and put her arm around his. "It's going to be fine."

"How can you be so sure?" He looked at her.

"Because there's always a rainbow after the rain. Some good always comes out of bad predicaments."

He smiled at her. "See? Even when things seem so terrible, you can always find a way to make things better. I love that about you." He felt so comfortable around her ever since he had told her he loved her.

She blushed and burried her face in his chest. "Thanks." He chuckled and wrapped both his arms around her.

She looked so beautiful with her white sweatshirt and baby blue, almost white, pajama pants. She looked like an angel.

She was an angel. One fallen from the beautiful, starry, sky, just to bring a little light into his life.

He felt warm liquid soaking through his shirt. He lifted her face and saw the tears. "Her, what's wrong?"

"I feel so helpless." Sakura started sobbing out loud.

"Don't. Sakura, you have so many people who love you and want to protect you. We won't let anything happen to you. Besides you'll get your magic back soon enough."

"I know, I know," she whispered.

Syaoran rubbed her back soothingly and hummed the tune of the song he'd song for her during their musical test.

Sakura laughed and looked up at him. He offered her his hand and she gladly took it.

They started dancing around in the garden like they had no worries, like two angels walking on clouds.

"Wow I feel so much better," Sakura told him.

"It's the magic of the night." He laughed and held her closer.

"Also the magic of love."

He smiled down at her. "Also the magic of love."

They had stopped dancing as they leaned in to share a sweet kiss. Syaoran wrapped his arms around her tighter, crushing her to him. She felt his warm tongue enter her mouth and explore it, making her blood boil.

Unknown to them, the many onlookers from inside the mansion looked away, giving them their privacy.

They pulled apart breathless. "I promise to get your cards back for you, Sakura."

She smiled. "My knight in shining armor."


	13. The Escape

It was her second day without any powers. Every passing second without it made her even more

anxious. Apparently she wasn't the only one who was on edge.

Sakura slowly put down her glass and looked around the table. Yelan was busy reading a letter,

Syaoran's sisters were whispering incoherently, Meilin was having a staring contest with her plate,

and Tomoyo and Eriol were extremely quiet. It seemed Syaoran was as confused about it as her.

During the entire time they had been sitting at the breakfast table nobody had said anything. It was

nerve wrecking.

Sakura looked over at Meilin who was sitting across from her. She just smirked and looked away,

leaving Sakura totally confused. Was she missing something? She saw Meilin mouth something to

Tomoyo, who was sitting next to her and she giggled.

She had, had enough. She cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.. Meilin, Tomoyo, Eriol,

Yelan, Syaoran, and his sisters all looked at her. "Ok, what does everyone know that I don't

know?"

Syaoran shrugged and the others just smiled.

Tomoyo and Meilin exchanged a secret smile and then Tomoyo said, "The better question is, what

do you know that you don't want us to know about?"

Sakura gave her a quizzical look. "Nothing."

Meilin raised a brow. "So you're completely denying that you were making out with Syaoran last

night, in the garden, secretly?"

Syaoran who was drinking juice, started choking on it. Sakura became completely pale. "H-

how!"

Feimei giggled. "We all saw you!"

Sakura went from completely pale to totally red.

Syaoran blushed like crazy. "I can't believe you were watching us!"

"Well if we had known that you two were in the garden, sharing an intimate moment we wouldn't

have looked out," Yelan said, secretly smiling at the fact that his son turned into a tomato when

she said 'intimate moment'. "It would've been also nice if we were informed that there was

something going on between you two."

"It just happened. We didn't mean to keep it a secret from you guys." Sakura looked down at her

plate.

"It's nothing to be ashamed about, darling." Yelan smiled at her son and his 'girlfriend'.

"I know! Didn't we say you two would make a cute couple from the beginning?" Meilin asked.

"Yeah.. But-"

"And now you are! So what's the problem?" Feimei interrupted Sakura's reply.

"Nothing?" Sakura replied with uncertainty. She looked over at Syaoran who was smiling at her.

She smiled back, making everyone in the room say, "Aww!"

-.-.-.-

Back at Penelope's lair, she stood by the mirror. Syaoran's lookalike was standing behind her,

holding the Sakura Book and the dart he used on Sakura. Penelope closed her eyes and took a

deep breath, smiling. "I've been dreaming about this moment for centuries."

She held out her right hand and the lookalike gave her the dart. She took it and stuck it in her left

arm. Penelope winced but then smiled as she felt herself become cloaked in Sakura's aura. It was

obviously fighting her but it would hold up long enough.

"Give me the cards! Let's see if this will work for me."

The lookalike handed her the card book immediately. She unwrapped the Key from the book and

turned it into the staff using some ancient words. She took out the Through Card. "Sakura Card, I

call upon your power!" She threw the card in the air and hit it with the staff. "Through!" The

Through Card opened a portal in the mirror. "Now lets see if it worked." Every time she had

figured out a way to open a new portal, she had been disappointed by the fact that she still could

not get through it.

She slowly reached out her hand towards the portal and when no force field stopped her hand

from going through, she laughed and pulled back, turning around to face her minion. "It worked!

Which means I have no use for you anymore..." She raised her hand to say a spell but stopped. A

smirk crawled upon her lips. "No. You might be useful yet." She grabbed him by the collar and

they both jumped into the portal.

-.-.-.-

Sakura dropped the book she was holding as a very terrible feeling of doom filled her. She turned

around to find Eriol, Syaoran, Yue, and Kero staring at each other with the same look: fear.

"You guys feel it too?" Sakura asked them.

They nodded. "I fear we might be too late to stop her." Eriol put down the book he was holding

and walked out of the library. The others followed him.

The dreadful feeling got stronger and stronger. They could tell that any minute something was

going to happen. Eriol, Syaoran, Sakura, Yue, and Kero broke into a run. When Meilin, Tomoyo,

and Syaoran's sisters saw this, they worriedly followed them outside.

"What's going on?" Meilin asked.

"I think Penelope's escaped." Sakura looked into the sky with worry. Dark clouds blocked out

the sun.

Syaoran put his arm around her and said. "We can take care of this."

Sakura nodded back.

A big black swirling portal opened up a few yards away from them and through it came Penelope

and Syaoran's lookalike.

"Oh dear," Yelan gasped as she joined the group.

"Yelan, take the girls and go inside," ordered Eriol.

Yelan nodded and gathered the girls and rushed them inside.

Penelope stopped a few yards away from them. "Oh how sweet, you want to protect them!" She

cackled, "It's a little bit too late Clow. I'm going to destroy them all! Nobody from your line will

be allowed to live!"She cackled. "But it's been a while since I've been on earth... I think I'm

going to go have some fun first!" She took out another Sakura Card. "Fly Card, I summon thee!"

The fly card created wings on her evil staff. The evil Syaoran and her got on it and sped away.

"We have to go after them!" Sakura cried..

"No!" Eriol replied. Syaoran and Sakura looked at him like he was crazy.

"We can't let her loose on the world! She'll destroy it!" Syaoran yelled.

"I meant, slow down. We need a plan."

"The plan is to kill her, how about that?" Syaoran bit out.

"We'll get to that. First there's something you two should know..." Eriol looked at them with sad

eyes. He had hoped it wouldn't come to this but since Penelope had escaped he had no choice but

to tell them everything.

"Can't it wait 'till later?" Sakura asked desperately.

"I'm afraid not. This will change everything." Sakura and Syaoran stared at him curiously. He

continued, "We are in the middle of an ancient prophecy. Penelope is a very powerful and ruthless

being and she will use all the power she has to take revenge on the Li family and the only people that can stop her are you two..." He looked at Sakura and Syaoran.

"Ok then let's go!" sad an impatient Syaoran.

"There's more." Eriol sighed and continued. "The prophecy also includes you two and the way it ends is ... heartbreaking."

Sakura gasped. "What happens at the end?"

"I- I don't know but it's not going to be a 'happily ever after' thing," Eriol replied sadly.

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Well happily ever after doesn't exist in reality anyway, now lets go get Penelope before she wipes out the world." He walked towards the direction Penelope had disappeared in.

Sakura glanced at Eriol and hesitantly follows Syaoran. Eriol put his head in his hands and sighed. "This isn't gonna end well."

"We'll watch over them," Yue said. "You stay here in case she comes back or if we... we fail." Eriol nodded and Yue and Keroberos flew after Sakura and Syaoran.

-.-.-.-

Syaoran's evil look-alike was walking behind Penelope as she waslked towards the tip of the mountain top. " Why didn't you kill them all while they were all there together?"

Penelope let out a frustrated sigh. "Because... Together they would be too much for me to handle at first. My powers are still not strong enough but as I spend more time in this realm the more power I gain and soon I will be invincible. Besides have you ever heard of the expression 'divide and conquer'?

* * *

OH I am _**soooo sorry**_ it took this long to update! 


	14. Prepare for Battle

**YES! I know i suck it's been almost a year since my last update and I am VERY sorry!**

**For those of you who may have forgotten what this story was even about here is a quick recap! **

* * *

_Quick Recap:_

"_Hello. I'm Sakura Kinomoto. It's nice to meet you."_

_Yelan grabbed Sakura's arm and guided her inside. "Welcome to our home Sakura. We were so glad that you decided to take us up on our invitation."_

_-.-.- _

_"If you are suggesting that I am attracted to Captain Grumpy then you are sadly mistaken!" Sakura made her way towards her room and opened the door and stood there, "We are like total opposites!"_

_-.-.-.- _

_She hovered there for a few minutes staring at the person doing amazing stunts with the sword. She had been so into it that when he spoke she almost fell off the staff._

_"So do you plan on spending the whole night watching me?" said the boy playfully._

_Sakura blushed again. "um... Well, you really know what you're doing."_

_He took a step towards her, still smirking "But did you like what you saw?"_

_-.-.- _

_"I think little brother is falling for her!" exclaimed Fanren._

_-.-.- _

_"Did you have one of your prophetic dreams again?" Yue asked walking towards her._

_"I think so. I saw... destruction. I think maybe somebody really doesn't want me to be here." Sakura looked down at her hands._

_Kero narrowed his eyes at Syaoran. "And we all know who that is!"_

_-.-.- _

_The dark figure chuckled as she witnessed the scene taking place in the Li mansion through the dark mirror. "Oh this is just too perfect. Everything seems to be going in my favor Card Mistress. I have two words for you: Buckle up!"_

_-.-.- _

_Eriol looked at her. "Well it seemed like big things were about to happen and I just couldn't stay away."_

-.-.-

"_We got what you wanted," Yue said to Eriol as he handed him an ancient book. Then as he moved away a young girl, Sakura's age, with dark her and a video camera in her hand, walked out._

_Sakura squealed and ran to hug the girl. "Tomoyo!"_

-.-.-

"_There is a prophecy about them," Eriol said. "Last night, after seeing the chemistry between those two, something familiar struck me. Then I sent you two to get this book which contains the prophecy. The prophecy basically says 'There will be two who shall triumph against a great evil and together they shall save the world; however while doing so they shall cause each other the pain of a thousand lost lovers.' I haven't fully translated the prophecy because the rest of it seems to be in a different code."_

"_So they will do great good together but what does it mean 'they shall cause each other the pain of a thousand lost lovers'?" Yelan asked with worry in her voice._

"_I am assuming that there will either be a great sacrifice that will cause them tremendous pain or that they hurt each other... emotionally," Eriol whispered._

_Meilin gasped and quickly covered her mouth. She ran before they could find out she had been eavesdropping._

-.-.-

"_Have you... ever... thought about falling in love?"Meilin gazed in his eyes searching for an answer. _

_Syaoran sighed and looked down. "I don't know. I don't think I ever will fall in love."_

-.-.-

"_That's what I'm trying to tell you, I didn't create the maze! I don't know how I ended up there I just remember waking up and standing in the middle of the maze. And then Syaoran was there and he attacked me with the sword and tried to kill me!"_

"_No, I didn't!" Syaoran protested._

"_He's right Sakura, it couldn't have been Syaoran you saw in the maze," Eriol explained. . "I have some more bad news. We can't find your key or any of your cards. Somehow amongst all the confusion even maze disappeared right from under our noses."_

_-.-.- _

_A strikingly beautiful woman who couldn't have been more than 20 years old was standing in front of her in a flowing, white gown. She had a glowing, golden sun on her forehead. "How did you get here?"_

"_A better question would be, what do you want with me?" Sakura pretended to be braver than she felt at the moment._

_The woman's face hardened. "I want nothing to do with you! I just want what I deserve and you happen to be standing in the way of me getting it." She smirked and a glowing orb appeared on her hand._

-.-.-

"_Something's wrong I can feel it," Syaoran said_

_-.-.- _

_Sakura opened her eyes and was surrounded by undefinable beauty. "Where am I?" she asked no one in particular._

"_In Heaven," said the same calm voice from earlier._

"_Mom!"_

_  
-.-.-_

_He raised a brow at her. "Aren't you afraid I'll try to kill you?"_

_Sakura looked down, guilty. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. I'm really, truly sorry about accusing you of those things. Please try to understand that I was being played. Someone wanted me to think those things! I'm really sorry! Please forgive me." Tears threatened to fall from her eyes._

_He looked her straight in the eyes for a minute and then said, "I understand."_

_ -.-.-_

_Syaoran looked at the front page of the newspaper that Sakura had slammed in front of him. There was a picture of them last night at the play where Sakura is holding on to Syaoran's arm and he's whispering something in her ear._

_He read the title of the article aloud. "Is China's Richest, Youngest, Bachelor Taken?"_

_-.-.- _

_Syaoran turned to look at him. "What makes you think I would hurt her?"_

_Kero shrugged. "Sometimes we do things not because we want to but because we are destined to."_

-.-.-

"_Syaoran?" Sakura raised a brow at the look he was giving her. "What are you-"_

_But her question was cut off when his lips came crashing down hers._

"_I think I'm-"_

"_I'm falling in love with you." Sakura said._

"_Me too."_

-.-.-

"_I fear we might be too late to stop her." Eriol said._

_-.-.- _

_Penelope stopped a few yards away from them. "Oh how sweet, you want to protect them!" She_

_cackled, "It's a little bit too late Clow. I'm going to destroy them all! Nobody from your line will_

_be allowed to live!"She cackled._

-.-.-

"_We'll watch over them," Yue said. "You stay here in case she comes back or if we... we fail." Eriol nodded and Yue and Keroberos flew after Sakura and Syaoran._

_-.-.- _

_Syaoran's evil look-alike was walking behind Penelope as she waslked towards the tip of the mountain top. " Why didn't you kill them all while they were all there together?"_

_Penelope let out a frustrated sigh. "Because... Together they would be too much for me to handle at first. My powers are still not strong enough but as I spend more time in this realm the more power I gain and soon I will be invincible. Besides have you ever heard of the expression 'divide and conquer'?_

-.-.-.-

"Am I a genius or am I a genius?" exclaimed Penelope. "My clouds have blocked out the sun and the moon, so their little guardians won't be so powerful!" She laughed maniacally and slammed the end of her staff into the ground, making it shake. "Oh how I missed these powers!"

"Penelope! We can't waste time like this! We have to go after them or they'll come after us!" cried Syaoran's evil look-alike.

Penelope's head snapped in his direction. "We? There is no 'we'. There's just me! You're just my little servant boy! Now do as I say and shut up!"

-.-.-.-

Yue flew ahead, leading the group and Kero followed carrying Syaoran and Sakura on his back. They were using an ancient Li artifact to find Penelope, the Lasin Board.

"So when we get there.. How exactly are we going to try and stop her?" asked Kero.

"Uh..."

"Uh..."

"Uh..."

"Great, so we're just flying to our doom!" Kero cried.

"Kero we'll think of something!" said Sakura. "Hopefully by then my powers will return and I can use the cards against her."

"Are you sure they're strong enough to work on her?" Yue asked.

"Well I guess we'll just have to wait and find out." Sakura sighed and shared a troubled look with Syaoran.

-.-.-.-

Eriol paced back and forth in the library. Everyone was looking at him apprehensively. "I suggest you all find any sort of magical protection you can while we still have time. Amulets, Talismans, spells, anything!" The crowed dispersed to search for those things. Eriol rubbed his temples and fell on the couch. "We're doomed."

"You guys might want to see this," called out Feimei as she directed everyone's attention to the television which was showing blizzards and floods all over the world.

"So far the only thing scientists can agree on is that these events all have to do with the strange clouds that have blocked out the sun and the moon. Many people believe that this may be the beginning of the end," said a male reporter on tv.

"They might be right about that," said Xiefa

"Turn it off," ordered Yelan.

"I"m going to go summon Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun. We're going to need all the help we can get." Eriol walked out of the library leaving the Li women alone.

"Mother?" asked Fanren. "What are we going to do?"

Yelan looked at her with a serious face that only a Li woman could give. "We're going to fight this evil."

"Meilin!" came Ryu's voice from downstairs.

Meilin stood up and run out the library. "Ryu! What are you doing here?!"

He ran up the stairs and crushed her in a hug. "I had to see you. I had to make sure you were ok!"

Meilin broke down and sobbed into his shirt. "I'm scared. I'm so scared."

Ryu rubbed her back. "It's going to be ok. I'll protect you, I promise."

Yelan walked out into the hallway with them. "I don't think it's such a good idea that you be here right now Ryu."

"But Aunt Yelan-"

"Meilin, the farther he is from us, the safer he will be."

"Mrs. Li with all due respect, I'm not leaving here. I love Mei and I'm going to protect her at all costs." Ryu stood tall and strong against Yelan.

"You don't know what you're dealing against Ryu. Leave." Yelan showed absolutely no emotion as she turned around to walk back into the library.

"Some magical creature that's going to bring about the end of the world?" Ryu asked.

Yelan stopped dead in her tracks and turned around. "What?"

Meilin looked terrified. She had never seen Yelan that angry before. "Sakura never erased his memory. She thought it would be better this way."

Yelan gave her a deadly glare and continued towards the library. "I don't have time to deal with this now. We'll discuss this later... if the world doesn't end."

Meilin groaned and fell into Ryu's arms.

"Ryu?" asked Eriol from behind them. Meilin saw him standing there with a tall lady with the wings of a butterfly and a navy version of Keroberos.

"Whoa." Ryu stared at the magical creatures in front of him.

"He's staying here, " stated Meilin with such firmness that Eriol didn't bother arguing with and just nodded.

"Come into the library. I have some information that may be of use to us."

-.-.-.-.-

Sakura gasped as she felt a sudden grow of energy. "I think my powers are coming back!"

"That's good! We're going need it.. Desperately" muttered Kero under his breath. They were still flying around trying to find Penelope. She had caused so much havoc that it was almost impossible to just idly stand by and watch.

"I think we're getting closer," Syaoran told them.

"Yes. I can feel her aura and I can feel the cards!" exclaimed Sakura.

"Mistress, do you think you can take back the rest of your powers now? Before we get any closer to Penelope? It might take away some of her strength." Yue flew next to keroberos, who had both teenagers on his back.

Sakura nodded and closed her eyes trying to pinpoint the exact location of her powers. She could feel them. She could feel the cards calling her. She tried to mentally will them to come to her. She felt the pull getting stronger. "Come to me.." she whispered under her breath.

-.-.-.-.-

Peneople gasped and fell over as Sakura's energy and cards flew from her. "She's here. Get ready."

Syaoran's lookalike nodded and got out his sword. He was dressed exactly like the real Syaoran, in traditional Chinese fighting clothes.


	15. Doomsday part 1

**_I am soo sorry it took this long to update but this chapter was the hardest thing i've ever had to write! I've rewritten it so many times because I wasn't satisfied with it. So i've broken it up into two parts and here's the first!!! _**

_Quick Recap:_

"_Hello. I'm Sakura Kinomoto. It's nice to meet you."_

_Yelan grabbed Sakura's arm and guided her inside. "Welcome to our home Sakura. We were so glad that you decided to take us up on our invitation."_

_-.-.- _

_"Did you have one of your prophetic dreams again?" Yue asked walking towards her._

_"I think so. I saw... destruction. I think maybe somebody really doesn't want me to be here." Sakura looked down at her hands._

_Kero narrowed his eyes at Syaoran. "And we all know who that is!"_

_-.-.- _

_The dark figure chuckled as she witnessed the scene taking place in the Li mansion through the dark mirror. "Oh this is just too perfect. Everything seems to be going in my favor Card Mistress. I have two words for you: Buckle up!"_

-.-.-

"_There is a prophecy about them," Eriol said. "Last night, after seeing the chemistry between those two, something familiar struck me. Then I sent you two to get this book which contains the prophecy. The prophecy basically says 'There will be two who shall triumph against a great evil and together they shall save the world; however while doing so they shall cause each other the pain of a thousand lost lovers.' I haven't fully translated the prophecy because the rest of it seems to be in a different code."_

"_So they will do great good together but what does it mean 'they shall cause each other the pain of a thousand lost lovers'?" Yelan asked with worry in her voice._

"_I am assuming that there will either be a great sacrifice that will cause them tremendous pain or that they hurt each other... emotionally," Eriol whispered._

-.-.-

"_That's what I'm trying to tell you, I didn't create the maze! I don't know how I ended up there I just remember waking up and standing in the middle of the maze. And then Syaoran was there and he attacked me with the sword and tried to kill me!"_

"_No, I didn't!" Syaoran protested._

"_He's right Sakura, it couldn't have been Syaoran you saw in the maze," Eriol explained. . "I have some more bad news. We can't find your key or any of your cards. Somehow amongst all the confusion even maze disappeared right from under our noses."_

_-.-.- _

_Syaoran turned to look at him. "What makes you think I would hurt her?"_

_Kero shrugged. "Sometimes we do things not because we want to but because we are destined to."_

-.-.-

"_I'm falling in love with you." Sakura said._

"_Me too."_

-.-.-

_Penelope stopped a few yards away from them. "Oh how sweet, you want to protect them!" She_

_cackled, "It's a little bit too late Clow. I'm going to destroy them all! Nobody from your line will_

_be allowed to live!"She cackled._

-.-.-

"_We'll watch over them," Yue said. "You stay here in case she comes back or if we... we fail." Eriol nodded and Yue and Keroberos flew after Sakura and Syaoran._

_-.-.- _

Sakura nodded and closed her eyes trying to pinpoint the exact location of her powers. She could feel them. She could feel the cards calling her. She tried to mentally will them to come to her. She felt the pull getting stronger. "Come to me.." she whispered under her breath.

-.-.-.-.-

Peneople gasped and fell over as Sakura's energy and cards flew from her. "She's here. Get ready."

Syaoran's lookalike nodded and got out his sword. He was dressed exactly like the real Syaoran, in traditional Chinese fighting clothes.

AND NOW...

"I see her!" cried Kero as they neared a clearing in a forest.

Penelope gave them a wicked smile. "So you found me. Now how do you plan to stop me?"

"We'll stop you. Don't worry" Syaoran told her as he jumped off Kero's back.

"Oh I never do." Penelope laughed.

At that moment Syaoran's evil lookalike jumped out of a tree and attacked him. They rolled around on the ground and stood up, facing each other. With both of them dressed the same way, it was like looking in a mirror.

Sakura gasped. "Syaoran!"

Both Syaoran's looked up at her. "Sakura be careful!" they yelled in unison then glared at the other.

Kero growled. "So that's your plan? Confuse us with the brat's double?"

"Oh not at all. That was just a distraction." With a wave of her wand magical markings on the ground of the forest lit up and trapped Sakura and Kero. Yue was able to get out of the way before he got caught up in the trap.

"Yue! Help Syaoran!" yelled Sakura.

Yue nodded at his mistress and went to help Syaoran who was fighting with his double. The only problem was he couldn't tell which was who. He couldn't sense anything. With the moon being blocked his powers had weakened.

Penelope sent a big gust of wind at him. Yue flew out of its way, summoned his bow and attacked her with his lightning rods. She easily dodged them. "That is just pathetic!"

Syaoran could barely keep up with his evil double. His lookalike was faster and stronger than him. He only had time to block incoming attacks. Sakura and Kero were attacking the force field around them but it was useless.

Yue's attacks on Penelope weren't even harming her in the slightest way but they were taking a lot out of Yue. With just one powerful blow from Penelope, Yue went flying in to one of the trees and fell down unconscious.

"Yue!" Sakura and Kero both shouted.

"Now what do we do?" asked Sakura.

"We break out and defeat her ourselves," replied Keroberos.

Penelope was chanting and creating more spells on the ground that originated as small earthquakes and spread out, but from the sound of it they got more powerful with each inch they traveled to their destination.

Sakura tried using her cards to break through the force field but their attacks only seemed to backfire on the. Running out of ideas, Sakura threw herself against the field and was thrown backwards. "Sakura!" Kero rushed to her side.

"Kero what do we do? We can't just stand here and watch Syaoran get attacked. He's going to die!" Sakura's voice cracked as tears spilled out of her eyes. "Everyone we know and love is going to die."

"Sakura you can't think like that!"

"Look at us Kero! We've lost!" She motioned toward the jumble of broken branches and trees on fire that was once a peaceful forest. The only light was coming from the symbols on the ground that were keeping them trapped. The atmosphere screamed of doom and gloom. "We've lost because I wasn't strong enough. I guess that prophecy wasn't about us... or at least not about me."

"Sakura I will not let you talk about yourself like that! You are strong! Otherwise Clow Reed wouldn't have chosen you as the Mistress of the Cards! Otherwise Penelope wouldn't have considered you a threat and tried to kill you so many times! Sakura, look at how powerful your powers made Penelope, they allowed her to escape a prison that was made with Clow Reed's magic! That means your powers are stronger than even his!" Kero stared her down. "You are stronger than her."

A sobbing Sakura looked away. "Penelope was already powerful. My powers were just an extra boost."

"Sakura stop crying! Look at Syaoran! He's fighting for you! He's gained extra strength because he's fighting for the people he loves! Your crying isn't going to get us anywhere but maybe you getting angry and doing something about the fact that the love of your life is in danger is just the thing we need!"

Sakura looked at Kero. "What if I can't?"

Kero growled. "How will you know if you won't even try?"

"Yes Sakura, what will you do?" Both heads turned to see Penelope standing outside the force field grinning at them. "I really am disappointed. I had higher expectations of you. Maybe Clow Reed was wrong, because from my point of view so far it's only been the boy that's done anything useful. Not that it matters now since his life is about to end." Penelope cackled and walked towards the battlefield of the two Syaorans.

"Syaoran watch out!" yelled Sakura but she was too late. With a wave of her staff, the real Syaoran went flying into the air and came crashing back down. Penelope tapped her staff against the ground and the earth near Syaoran started to rumble and turn into quicksand.

Syaoran began to feel his body being pulled down into the ground. He struggled against it but that only pulled him down even faster. He was too beaten and drained to use magic. His body was almost entirely under the quicksand. He took one last look at Sakura and said, " You have to save yourself and you have to save everyone else. I know you can do it." Sakura only sobbed and shook her head. "Sakura, I love you." Just then his head and the rest of his body were pulled down into the quicksand and he disappeared completely beneath the earth. The quicksand solidified. Syaoran was buried alive.

"Syaoran!" Sakura yelled out loud.

"Sakura quick do something!" Kero yelled in a panicked voice and he saw Penelope turn towards Yue. Sakura couldn't look away from the spot that Syaoran's body was lying just seconds ago. "Sakura! Don't make his sacrifice be for nothing! Fight for him!"

Sakura was in the greatest of pain imaginable: her heart was breaking and she felt like her soul was set on fire. The love of her life was gone. He was gone. That was the only thought running through her head until a cry of pain startled her. Sakura's head snapped in the direction it had come from and saw Penelope throw Yue against another tree. "Yue!" Kero was throwing himself against the shield futilely. "Kero! That's not going to work!"

Kero stopped to growl at her. "At least I'm doing something!"

That startled Sakura. He was right. She had stood idly by as Penelope killed Syaoran and now she was going to kill someone else she loved and unless she could stop it she would continue and kill everyone she loved but probably not before killing her.

She looked at Keroberos who was tired and drained but was still trying to break the barrier. Sakura looked back at the Syaoran lookalike that was leaning against a tree breathing heavily from the fight with Syaoran. Sakura's heart almost crumbled at the thought of him and to be looking at the mirror image of the person who was the exact opposite of the Syaoran she had known and loved only angered her more. Sakura suddenly felt a jolt of power. She looked over at Penelope who was still throwing around Yue and felt another jolt. She took her gaze toward her guarding who could barely stand up and felt herself grow even more powerful. She thought about all her friends at the Li mansion and her family back in Japan and suddenly she was shaking with rage.

She_would_ defeat Penelope and she would save the world. She was their last_hope_.


	16. Doomsday Part 2: Victory?

**First** of all I would like to apologize for taking so long to update but this section of the story has given me writer's block for about 3 years now.

**Second** I refer to Keroberos as Kero in this chapter but take note that the entire time he is in his full form as Keroberos.

**Finally:** Thank you for bearing with me! The story is coming to an end soon!!

**Quick recap:**

Sakura comes to visit the Li's to prove that Clow has chosen the right master for the cards. She falls for Syaoran and Eriol finds an ancient prophecy that says Sakura and Syaoran will defeat a great evil but in doing so they will cause great pain to each other. One of Clow's deciples, Penelope, who had been banished to another realm for trying to take over Clow's magic and use it to her benefit, has been spying on Sakura and manages to escape her prison and wreck havoc on the world. Sakura, Syaoran, Yue, and Kero go to fight her and the look-alike that she'd created of Syaoran.

**Enjoy the rest of the story!**

Thinking about the ones she loves, filled her heart with a warm, serene feeling. The sensation spread to every part of her body and soul, taking away her grief and replacing the pain and sorrow with something else, something more powerful.

She felt her molecules buzzing in anticipation and excitement. She'd never felt this much power coursing through her veins before. Even her aura was glowing brighter than it had ever been before. Sakura was suddenly filled with a sense of reassurance and confidence in herself. She knew she's be able to defeat Penelope. She could feel it in her bones.

Sakura concentrated on the new found strength within her and she tried to reach out to Syaoran, Yue and Kero with it. Kero who was still trying to break through the barrier felt the difference in the air and turned to face Sakura. She looked unusually calm and the look in her eyes told Kero that she had finally found the courage she needed. She began to glow brighter and in a flash a blinding light emanated from Sakura and spread throughout the forest.

Penelope stopped in the middle of another attack towards Yue and looked at Sakura in surprise. The glowing spells on the forest floor frizzled and died out. The barrier was broken.

Penelope gaped. "That's not possible!"

Kero smirked, "Oh it gets better." He looked past her. Penelope turned to the place where Syaoran's body had been pulled into the ground. The floor was glowing with Sakura's light at that spot . A figure slowly started to rise out of the ground. Syaoran's body was once again resting on the ground, Syaoran's look-alike ran to attack him again but just as he was about to deliver a deadly blow to Syaoran's head, a gust of wind picked him up and threw him far into the forest. The Windy reappeared through the trees momentarily and flew to the sky and started circling, causing the clouds to gather together and rumble with the threat of rain. Kero smiled at Sakura. "Nice to have you back." He rushed to help Yue as Penelope scrambled about trying to make sense of what had just happened and get back her leverage.

Syaoran stirred and slowly opened his eyes. Everything came rushing back to him and he sat up immediately yelling Sakura's name and looking around for her. Sakura rushed to his side and wrapped her arms around him. "You're alive!" Sakura cradled Syaoran's beaten body. "You're ok, you're ok," Sakura rocked him back and forth as tears rushed down her face.

Syaoran looked up at her and smiled, "Thanks to you. I knew you could do it."

Sakura smiled back at him and pulled him in a gentle hug.

A drop of rain fell on Sakura's ear, followed by another. With a roaring thunder, the skies opened up and rain began to pour, washing away the jet black clouds that had cut off the sun and the moon from the Earth. The stars sparkled in the now-visible night sky. The beautiful glow from the moon shone brightly on Yue and began to replenish him.

Sakura felt an overwhelming power building up inside her and she knew everything was going to be alright. A subtle, pink glow started to shine from Sakura's heart that immediately became apparent. "Sakura?" Syaoran gave her a concerned look. Sakura only smiled at him.

The glow left her body in an orb and shaped itself into a Clow card. Sakura grabbed it out of the air and read the name, "Hope."

"Sakura, she's getting away!" yelled Kero from Yue's side. Sakura's head snapped up to see Penelope summon another black cloud and get on it.

"Well it was good while it lasted but you better kiss your hope goodbye, " Penelope yelled back as she flew off.

"We need to go after her," said Syaoran as he struggled to get up.

"We need a plan first," Sakura helped Syaoran stand up. His injuries were too many and it was obvious to Sakura that he was trying to not show how much pain he was really in. Yue struggled to stand up but collapsed back down. "Sakura's right. We don't want to walk into another trap. We need to be prepared this time, especially considering the injuries we've sustained."

"What can we do at this point?" Kero asked.

"The look-alike!" Syaoran screamed as he looked around. "Where is he?!"

"Penelope probably went after him," Sakura said.

"I don't think so," said Yue. "She looked more interested in getting away and saving herself while she had a chance."

"So you think Syaoran's look-alike is still here?" asked Kero.

"What should we do?" an edge of panic was detectible in Sakura's tone.

"Now that he's separated from Penelope, it might be the only chance we have to defeat him." Yue informed them as he gathered up enough strength to stand up with help from Kero.

"How?" asked Sakura.

"We better figure that out soon, 'cause he's back!" yelled Syaoran.

Everyone's head snapped to the direction Syaoran was looking, to see the look-alike leaning against the tree, looking out of breath and tired.

"Sakura use your cards!" exclaimed Kero.

Sakura's hand went to her pocket to grab a card when Syaoran stopped her. "This is my fight Sakura. I need to finish it."

"Are you insane, kid? He'll kill you! He almost did it before!" yelled Kero.

"Keroberos. Let him go." Yue looked sternly at the other guardian who was looking at him wide-eyed. "He has to do this."

As the two continued to squabble, Syaoran stepped forward to fight his doppelganger. Sakura placed a hand on his arm to stop him. He looked at her and saw so much love and concern in her eyes that he knew he would move heaven and hearth to be with her. "I'll be alright, Sakura. I promise you." Sakura just nodded and wiped away the tears that were running down her face. He turned back to face his look-alike, who forced himself off the tree and stood up. He appeared to also be injured. "Sakura... I could really use a sword right now."

Sakura nodded and summoned the Sword card for Syaoran, then rushed to Yue's side. "He'll be alright won't he?"

Yue looked at her with a somber expression. "Your hope healed his inner wounds, only the self-doubt that he had is gone. Now he just needs you to believe in his abilities."

Syaoran raised his sword and gave his look-alike a deathly glare, "This is going to end now."

-.-.-.-.-

Eriol finished writing an ancient symbol on the ground and got up to face Yelan. "We've done all we can." He looked outside the manor window and saw that the light of the moon was almost visible through the waning clouds.

Yelan stood next to him and asked him with an anguished look, "Are they alright?"

"I have no idea. I'm sensing too many things. They're alive but heavily injured." Yelan clutched her hands to her heart and gasped in fear. "You must have faith in them, Yelan."

"I do, but you can't stop a mother from worrying."

Eriol put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Let's go try to be of some help to them." They walked back into the living room where the Li family was gathered with their friends as well as Ruby Moon and Spinal Sun. Eriol sighed and began to speak, "Hopefully Sakura and Syaoran can defeat her but in case they don't and Penelope comes here, we need to be ready with a plan. All we can hope for, in case of this situation is that at least they've weakened her enough so that we can finish the job. Alone we will fall, but together... by combining your magic as Clow descendants and my magic as his reincarnation, we may be able to pull this off."

"Some of us don't have any magic," Meilin spoke up, "What do we do? Just stand around and watch?"

Eriol walked up to her. "You have magic. All of you have magic because you believe in the oldest and greatest magic of all- love. Your love for each other combined will hopefully be strong enough to stop Penelope."

"Hopefully?" asked Feimei.

Eriol sighed and look down. "I can't guarantee it'll work, but I will promise you, we will all die if we try nothing. And she won't stop with us. She will continue until she's conquered the whole world. So yes, right now all we can do is hope and it is important that you don't forget that. Never give up hope."

Xiefa put a protective arm around Feimei and whispered, "We'll get through this. You have to believe with all your heart that we'll be ok." She cast a concerned glance toward the window and added, "All of us."

Tomoyo looked up at them in anticipation. "But the clouds have almost completely disappeared. That must mean they're winning, right? Getting rid of Penelope's magic?"

"Guess again!" said a loud female voice.

All heads flew to the direction of the entrance where Penelope stood in all her arrogance. Ruby Moon and Spinal Sun flew and stood behind their Master. "I expected more from the reincarnation of the great Clow Reed. Your spells weren't even strong enough to delay my entrance for a moment."

"I never put up any spells to keep you out. After all, I wouldn't want to force you to unleash your wrath on unsuspecting civilians." Eriol took a couple steps forward and stood protectively between Penelope and the Li family.

"So you'd rather I unleash my wrath on your descendants?"

"You'd have to get through me first."

Penelope laughed. "Oh is that supposed to scare me? I was barely containable under Clow Reed's control. You expect me to fear some kid that claims to have the watered down version of Clow's powers?"

Eriol smiled and started to chant in an ancient language. "Hold hands and concentrate!" Eriol yelled back to the Li's. Yelan, Fuuti, Fanren, Xiefa, Feimei, Tomoyo, Meilin, and Ryu all held hands. Ruby Moon and Spinal Sun joined in on the chant.

The chanting sent small vibrations in the air that formed ribbons in the air and wrapped themselves around Penelope but she didn't look concerned. With a wave of her wand she broke the spells around her. "This is pathetic and even worse are that descendant of yours and the Clow Mistress. How could Clow choose her? She's completely inadequate!"

Eriol stopped chanting and smiled at her. "They will defeat you. I feel Sakura getting stronger and so do you. You're scared."

Penelope laughed like the maniac she was. "Scared? Of the little girl? If anything, you should be the ones that are scared. You've put all your faith in a couple of teenagers who don't even know the first thing about magic!"

"They have pure hearts and that is something you never had Penelope. That's what makes them stronger than you, because everything they do, they do for the sake of others! They are fighting to save the ones they love and you never did anything with your magic that was the slightest bit selfless! And Sakura, she has _hope_ for the future yet." Eriol smirked.

Penelope growled and summoned a glowing ball of energy, "I'm sick of that word." She threw the ball at Eriol. The impact made Eriol fall and skid across the room. Ruby Moon and Spinal Sun immediately took on a defensive pose. Tomoyo gasped and ran toward him "Eriol!" But before she could make it to his side, the ground under her feet glowed and pulled her down into the ground completely.

"Tomoyo!" yelled the girls.

Eriol's eyed widened. "Tomoyo! Let her go Penelope!" He jumped up and held his staff in front of him like a weapon, energy crackling from him. Ruby Moon flew into the air and Spinal Sun couched on the floor, both getting ready to pounce on her.

Penelope smirked and hit the end of her wand on the ground and from another glow out came Tomoyo right in front of her. Penelope grabbed her immediately and held her like a shield. "You wouldn't do anything to hurt her, would you?" Penelope smiled realizing she'd just gotten her hands on Eriol's biggest weakness.

Eriol immediately put up his hand to stop his guardians. "Don't hurt her. Take me."

"Somehow I get the feeling that you'll hurt more if she's the one in pain." Penelope touched the tip of her wand to Tomoyo's side and electricity jolted through her body and Tomoyo cried our in great pain.

Eriol automatically rushed to Tomoyo but Ruby Moon grabbed his arm. "You can't! It's what she wants!"

"Eriol! Stay away!" Tomoyo yelled through the pain-filled screams.

Eriol's eyes were tearing up. He was in anguish. "Please. Penelope, stop."

Seeing that Eriol's resolve to stop her was cracking, Penelope released her hold on Tomoyo letting her fall to the ground and she points her wand at Eriol. "What will you do to save her?"

"Anything," Eriol answered without thinking. Suddenly he was no longer Clow Reed's reincarnation but a regular boy who was witnessing his most precious thing in the world be tortured.

"Eriol!" Yelan warned him. "This is what she wants, you must think clearly."

But Eriol's eyes wouldn't budge from Tomoyo's unconscious form. "I can't."

"You must focus on the bigger picture!" Yelan insisted.

"Mother!" yelled Feimei surprising Yelan with her tone. "You can't expect him, or us for that matter, to just watch her hurt Tomoyo do you? What if it was one of us? Would you say the same thing them?"

Yelan looked at her daughter with a pained expression then at Tomoyo's still body on the ground in front of Penelope. She let her head fall, ashamed.

Penelope laughed cold-heartedly. "Aw how sweet but you see there lies your weakness. You're all so willing to die for each other that it makes this almost too easy."

"Don't hurt her. I'll do anything you want." Eriol pleaded with her.

Penelope smirked. "Give me your powers."

-.-.-.-

Syaoran ran at his look-alike, sword raised high, about to strike. But as his sword came down so did the look-alike's and once again they were evenly matched , and at a standstill. Both looked exhausted and about to collapse.

"How much longer can this go on?" Keroberos asked. "We need to go after Penelope!"

"We can't leave Syaoran here. We're strongest together." Sakura's eyes followed every movement the two Syaorans made in the forest.

"We don't know where Penelope is and what she's doing. She could be hurting people! She could be at the mansion!" Kero yelled in frustration.

For the first time since the fight began Sakura looked away at Kero. "I cant leave Syaoran. My instincts tell me that the only way we can beat Penelope is if we all work together!" She looked back at Syaoran and this time she could tell exactly which one was her Syaoran. Her senses had heightened so much since the clouds had washed away that she could distinctly pick out Syaoran's aura.

"Sakura's right" Yue added. He also hadn't looked away from the fight yet. "It won't be much longer now."

"How can you tell?" asked Sakura anxiously.

"The doppelganger is losing power. Without Penelope, it takes all his strength to hold his human shape."

"What is that thing anyway?" asked Kero.

"A spirit."

"It's a ghost?" Sakura was suddenly overcome by fear.

"Somewhat."

Kero growled. "What do you mean 'somewhat'? It's either a ghost or not!"

"A ghost suggests that it was once an alive being. This is a spirit made by magic. When a spell is too strong it sometimes takes on a life of itself. Those spells were banned many millennia ago but the spirits that were once created couldn't be undone. The spirits roamed around causing chaos and destruction until a group of sorcerers decide to use their magic to weaken the spirits and trap them. That's why there's so many myths about swords and armors that are possessed by evil spirits. Battle armor are usually filled with the leftover energy of war, so they were able to sustain the spirits, but since it took so many powerful sorcerers to trap them, no one ever thought it would be possibly for them to get out. Apparently Penelope's powers were stronger than anyone would've expected."

"So if she has enough power to undo a spell _a group_ of sorcerers put on these spirits , then what chance do we have of defeating her?" Sakura asked in a very quiet voice.

"Because it took a lot out of her to break the spell on the armor and give the spirit a form. She's weakened," Yue explained.

"Then now is the best time to defeat her! Before she finds some way of recharging her powers!" Kero yelled. "Sakura, we need to get to her now!"

"Not without Syaoran!" Sakura glared at him.

-.-.-.-.-

"Eriol you cannot be serious! If you give your powers to her, then Syaoran and Sakura have no chance of surviving!" Yelan exclaimed.

"Have more faith in them, Yelan," Eriol gave her a thoughtful look, "and in me."

Eriol and Yelan walked back to the middle of the library where Penelope had drawn an ancient design on the floor. "Now no funny business or the little lady here gets it," Penelope poked an unconscious Tomoyo in the ribs with her staff.

"No Funny business, but you better keep your end of the bargain." Eriol stepped inside the circle, across from Penelope.

"The girl means nothing to me. She will not be harmed." Penelope drew out a dagger from her pocket causing the rest of their witnesses to gasp. Yelan rushed to their side. She held out her hand to Eriol and he offered her his. Penelope grabbed his hand and cut a big gash in it letting his drip onto the floor. Eriol didn't even grimace. She then did the same to her own hand. When her blood hit the floor, the sacred designs drawn on it glowed and began to emit a very strong aura. Penelope began to chant in an ancient language causing the characters on the floor to come alive and dance around them. Eriol's body began to glow in a blue hue. He winced at first and tried to cover it but the next instant he was crying out in pain as if someone was ripping his heart out from him while he was still alive.

-.-.-.-.-.-

With a quick hit from the side Syaoran managed to knock the sword out of his look-alike's hand. He stumbled backwards and fell on the floor. He had nowhere to go as Syaoran put a sword to his throat. "What now?" asked Syaoran panting from exhaustion.

Sakura stepped forward and put a hand on his arm, lowering it. "Let me handle this." Syaoran looked at her and stepped back. Sakura looked at the look-alike that was now collapsed on the ground and had a defeated look on his face. "I'm going to return you to the object you were released from."

"Please don't" begged the look-alike. "I don't wish to continue with this pitiful existence." Sakura could swear she saw tears welling up behind his eyes. She looked back at her guardians and Yue nodded at her.

Sakura whispered "I'm sorry" to him and summoned the Erase Card. Syaoran's look-alike lied back down and closed his eyes as a peaceful look came upon his face and he faded out of existence.

Kero broke the silence, "Well that's one down, we still have one more to go."

They all turned to look in the direction of the Li mansion, they could feel the remains of Penelope's energy coming from there. "Let's hurry" said Syaoran.

-.-.-.-.-

Upon arriving at the Li estate, Syaoran and Sakura rushed towards the mansion only to have Kero and Yue cut them off. "What are you doing?" Syaoran exclaimed.

"Do you have a plan? Or are you just going to charge in there and get yourself killed?" Kero glared at him.

"I'm going to use the time card" said Sakura.

Yue nodded in agreement "That's a good idea, you'll stop time and we'll get everyone else out of there."

"Then what? We still have to deal with the witch herself!" Kero growled at the thought of the confrontation.

"I'll stab her! How's that for a plan?" Syaoran tried to get past Kero but out of frustration Kero pounced on him, knocking Syaoran to the ground and keeping him there.

"I understand that you've had plenty of training in martial arts but this isn't another competition or a demonstration! Killing someone is not a task to be taken lightly. You're talking about taking a person's life, brat. Can you really do that?"

Syaoran glared at Kero while trying to get out from under his grip. "Yes, I can, because she's not human! She's a monster! She deserves far worse but I'll be merciful and just end her life quickly."

"Keroberos," Yue called in an authoritative voice, getting everyone's attention. "I fear we have no choice but to do as Syaoran wants. We can't afford to let her live and have the same thing happen in the future to others. We must end this cycle while we still can."

Kero released his hold on Syaoran, allowing him to get up. "But Clow would never-"

"We must do what Clow couldn't." Yue cut off Kero's argument. "It's for the best."

Sakura who had remained silent cleared her throat, making them all look at her. "Do you realize what you're asking of Syaoran? If he takes a life and it doesn't matter whose life it is, he will be killing off a part of himself as well. He'll lose his innocence, his humanity! I can't let you do that."

"Sakura, we have no choice!" Syaoran tried to reason with her.

Sakura said to him in the tenderest tone, "We always have a choice. We have to choose not to listen to our darker instincts because that is what makes us different from Penelope and the likes of her."

"Sakura's right," said Kero. "We'll just have to find another way."

"I already have," Sakura told them. "You just have to trust me." With that said, she headed off towards the mansion and the others followed.

When they reached the mansion, Sakura called on the time card and commanded it to stop time for whoever was in the mansion. When the card returned, they went in. Feeling confident that everyone inside would be frozen in time, they rushed in with Kero and Yue in lead, towards the library where they felt the presence of Clow Reed's magic.

Upon entering they all froze in their tracks. They saw a bloody Penelope sitting on one of the couches, smiling at them, while the rest of the Li family and friends were frozen while trying to help out a bleeding Eriol. "Very impressive, stopping time in order to stop me, and it would've worked too, if only you'd done it a bit sooner." Penelope laughed like a maniac.

"Eriol!" Sakura gasped and rushed to his side.

Kero glanced from Penelope to Eriol's unconscious body and back to Penelope. "What have you done?!"

"Oh don't worry. He'll be fine, which is more than I can say for you guys." With a wave of her hand, Penelope conjured wind and knocked them all against the wall.

"Why isn't she frozen?" Syaoran asked as he scrambled to his feet and took a defensive stance.

"I don't know." Yue stood next to him with his bow in hand. Kero ran to Sakura's side to help her up.

"I'll tell you." Penelope stood up and raised her hands, allowing electricity to shoot out of her fingers and create a thunderstorm above her. "I have Clow Reed's power! I finally have it! And your magic has no effect on me!" Lightning bolts flew out of the thunder cloud she created and one went right for Sakura's heart.

Syaoran jumped in front of her and blocked the attack with his sword. Another bolt flew right at him, this time a bit stronger. Syaoran braced himself but the attack sent him flying through the air and landing on one of the tables. Sakura ran to his side.

Yue sent an arrow aimed right at her heart while Kero opened his mouth and sent a fire attack. Penelope just held out her hand and blocked their attacks.

Sakura helped Syaoran stand up. "Syaoran, what do we do now? If she has Clow Reed's magic then nothing we do will affect her!"

"Clow Reed would never allow his magic to be used for evil. He wanted to protect people with it…" Syaoran trailed off, clearly becoming lost in his thoughts.

"Syaoran?" Sakura glanced to where his eyes were focused, where Yue and Kero were sending attacks towards Penelope and she, without effort, was blocking them.

"What if, Clow Reed's magic, like the Cards, has its own consciousness…?"

"What do you mean?"

"So far, we've managed to escape being hit by Penelope's attacks but if she manages to harm one of us then it would go against everything Clow believed and used his powers for!" Syaoran grabbed Sakura by the arms and looked into her eyes. "Clow Reed had premonitions correct?" Sakura nodded. "Then isn't it possible that he might've foreseen this horrific event and done something to prevent his magic from being used like this?"

"I don't know! We can't be sure!" Sakura saw where he was heading with this train of thought and didn't like it.

"I am sure, Sakura. Something in me knows that Clow Reed, infused his essence into his magic to make sure no harm could come to people." Syaoran let go of her and picked up his sword.

Sakura ran in front of him blocking his way. "Syaoran, that is stupid! We know she can hurt us, she's already thrown us against the wall, and done who knows what to Eriol! I will not let you throw yourself at her feet." Sakura's eyes filled up with tears. "Don't ask me to stand around and watch you die."

Syaoran pulled her in for a hug and whispered in her ear. "I don't expect you to stand around and watch anything. The second you see her falter, you will attack." He pulled back looked in her eyes and said, "Don't let me down, Sakura." She opened her mouth to protest but he covered her lips with his with a quick kiss and ran off towards Penelope.

"Syaoran!"

Kero and Yue were still sending attacks at Penelope while trying to avoid being hit by her lightning strikes when they heard Sakura yell. Before they knew it, Syaoran had jumped in front of an oncoming attack and got hit by the bolt right in the heart. Kero and Yue rushed to his aid as he lied there immobile and the momentary victory distracted Penelope so that she didn't see Sakura summon a Clow Card until it was too late.

"Shield Card, release!" Sakura's wand made contact with the card and the spirit within it flew out and formed a shield around Penelope.

Penelope chuckled. "Really, Sakura? You think this is going to stop me?" She raised her hand to summon another lightning bolt but nothing happened. A look of surprise crossed her face as she tried it again and still nothing happened. She turned towards Sakura and gave her a murderous glare. "What did you do?"

Seeing that Syaoran's theory had been correct and that Penelope was now trapped, she rushed toward Kero and Yue who were trying to revive Syaoran. "Is he alright?"

Yue was doing chest compressions on him. "He's not breathing," he informed her.

Sakura's heart could have stopped. "What?"

Kero went to her side and rested his head on her shoulder in comfort. "I'm sorry Sakura. He did a very brave thing."

Sakura shook her head in denial as tears ran down her cheeks. "No, no it can't be! He said Clow's magic couldn't be used to harm people! He said it!"

Kero looked back at Syaoran who was still not breathing from the looks of it. "He's a smart kid. I don't know why I didn't think of it. But I guess his getting hurt was the deciding factor."

Sakura who was now sobbing turned and yelled at Kero, "What does that mean?! What does any of this mean?! That because of some stupid, power-hungry witch who should've died centuries ago and a fight who is not even ours, an innocent person is dead?"

"Sakura if he hadn't done what he did then many more innocents would've died at Penelope's hand. It was because he … died, that Penelope lost his magic. Clow probably made sure that if he or anyone else using his magic hurt people then they wouldn't be able to use it anymore. I'm really sorry Sakura."

Sakura fell to her knees and grabbed Syaoran's hand as Yue stopped trying to revive him. "Syaoran don't leave me… please?" She dropped her head and kissed his sobbing hand.

Yue laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. Penelope's lightning hit him right in his chest, instantly stopping his heart."

Sakura lifted her head with anger in her eyes. "If lightning took him from me…" Sakura stood up and grabbed her wand, "Then lightning will bring him back to me." Sakura reached for a card from her back pocket and threw it in the air.

"Sakura, no!" yelled Yue and Kero in unison but Sakura ignored them and brought down her wand on the card.

"Lightning!" The Card spirit jumped into the air and dived right into Syaoran's body making it jump before it reappeared in its animal shape next to the body. Sakura ran to Syaoran and put her head on his chest, checking for a heart beat. A small smile, came across her face. "He's alive," she whispered. "He's alive!" Sakura lightly tapped his cheeks. Syaoran twitched and shook his head, slowly opening his eyes.

"What happened?" Syaoran asked as he tried to sit up.

Sakura smiled and hugged him. "You saved the world."

Yue and Kero stood there stunned. "I don't believe this," Kero said.

"Well, she did what any doctor would do," Yue commented.

Kero looked over at Penelope and the rest of the people in the library who were frozen in time. "I can't believe it's over."

"It's not over yet," Yue said as he walked toward Sakura and Syaoran. "Sakura, you need to unfreeze everyone and deal with Penelope." Syaoran's head snapped in the direction of Penelope but relaxed once he saw that she was trapped in the shield, futilely trying to conjure up magic attacks.

"Right." Sakura nodded and stood up, helping Syaoran as well. Yue grabbed his arm and led him to a chair while Sakura summoned the time card and unfroze everyone.

The library suddenly erupted in agitated cries of the Li family and then as realization hit them there had been a battle in the library that a second ago was in perfect shape, silence took over. As they took in the sight of Penelope trapped while the others were alive and relatively unharmed, they once again burst out in cries but this time they were cries of joy.

Syaoran's sisters and cousin rushed to him as Tomoyo ran to Sakura. 'Oh I'm so glad you're alright! We were so worried!"

Sakura hugged her crying friend while trying not to collapse on her from exhaustion. "Are you alright?"

Tomoyo pulled back to nod at her friend. "I am but we should call an ambulance for Eriol, He's lost a lot of blood."

Meilin ran past them yelling, "I'm on it!"

"No need!" said Yelan. "It seems the bleeding has stopped. He's coming to consciousness."

"I guess when you froze time, you stopped the bleeding but his body still continued to function, healing the wound." Kero smiled up at Sakura. "You saved his life."

Kero went to check on Yue while Sakura and Tomoyo went up to Yelan, Ruby, and Spinal Sun who were nursing Eriol and sat beside them. "I'm so glad you're all alright. I was so worried about you." Yelan took Sakura's hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you. You should go see your son, we'll take care of Eriol," Sakura told Yelan who nodded and left to embrace her son who was practically passing out from the toll of the events of the day. "Poor Syaoran, he's been through so much."

"So have you," Tomoyo said.

"Yeah but I didn't die or get buried alive."

Tomoyo looked at her quizzically but Sakura just gave her a tired smile and said, "I'll explain everything later. Right now we should get Eriol to a doctor and deal with Penelope." Sakura looked over at the Shielded Penelope who was crouched on the floor crying.

"What are you going to do with her?" Tomoyo asked.

"Give her peace." Sakura got up and walked up to Penelope. Sudden silence came over the library as everyone watched to see what Sakura would do. "Penelope?" The woman looked up with teary eyes. "You've caused a great deal of pain to everyone, Penelope. Majority of the people in this room would like nothing more than to see you dead."

Penelope started crying again. "Is that it then? You're going to kill me?"

"No." Sakura shocked everyone with her answer. "I am not god; I can't take anyone's life. But I will give you a chance to make a new life." Sakura stepped back and pulled out one more card. "Create Card, I want you to create a world where the only magic is that of love, a place where Penelope can live out the rest of her days as a mortal." The Card released and created a door. The shield around Penelope disappeared. The door that the card had created opened revealing a beautiful home, with the fireplace lit. A man's voice came "Penelope?"

Penelope gasped, obviously recognizing the voice, she looked at Sakura "Why are you doing this?"

"I want you to have the life you would have had if you had not gotten corrupted by the power of magic."

"Penelope, where are you?" called the man's voice again.

Penelope got up and went to the door, standing in the doorway, she turned and whispered to Sakura, "Thank you," before going in all the way. The door closed behind her and disappeared.

Sakura felt a hand rest on her shoulder and turned to see that it belong to Syaoran. He smiled at her. "That was very kind of you and certainly more than what she deserved."

Sakura smiled back and wrapped her arms around her torso resting her head against his chest. "Who are we to decide what kind of fate people deserve?" Syaoran kissed the top of her head and held her close to him.

Eriol groaned and came to consciousness. "What did I miss?"

Tomoyo let out a shaky laugh and jokingly said, "Nothing terribly exciting."

Just as everyone was beginning to relax and feel relieved that the cloud of doom had passed over them, bolts of lightning crackled inside, the earth began to shake and a shield began to form around Syaoran and Sakura, and when it disappeared, so did they.

"What was that?!" Meilin exclaimed. "I thought it was all over!"

Yelan and Eriol exchanged a worried look. "I'm afraid it is."

-.-.-.-

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